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THE ABOVE LIKENESS IS COPIED FROM AN ENGRAVING TAKEN FROM AN EMERALD 
SAID TO HAVE BEEN CUT BY COMMAND OF TIBERIUS CAESAR. IT FELL INTO THE 
HANDS OF THE TURKS AT CONSTANTINOPLE. AND WAS GIVEN TO POPE I NNOCENT VI11, 
BY THE SULTAN FOR THE RANSOM OF HIS BROTHER. 


























“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you 
into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have 
seen Him go into Heaven.” ACTS 1 :11. 


By JAMES EDSON WHITE. 



SOUTHERN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION 
Ft. Worth, Texas NASHVILLE. TENN. hickory. N. C. 




LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 


Feb m 190 r 


,, Copyright Entry 
CLASS A XXc M No. 

' LtAI*- 


.vJs 

I'ID'J 





- 5 ^ 9 . 


COPYRIGHTED , i8 9 8, BY J. E. WHITE. 


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 

COPYRIGHTED , 1904, BY J. E. WHITE. 

(Y* ----.*•- 2 ^ 5 ) 

5 -*---*-a w 


COPYRIGHTED , i 9 cq t BY J. E. WHITE. 









At 


p T g HE great plan of redemption by wbicb man 
is enabled to regain tbe glorious and happy 
state which sin lost to our first parents, may well 
attract the attention and interest of every son 
and daughter of Adam. 

Christ is the great central figure of this won¬ 
derful work. It is the design of this book to 
show His relation to this world from its creation 
to its final redemption, when it will again bloom 
like the garden of Eden of old, and become the 
happy home forever of those who accept the 
mercy which Christ offers. 

The first few chapters pass rapidly over the 
early periods of this earth’s history. They show 
Christ as the Creator and Redeemer. The fact 
that Christ is the One who has been connected 
with this world from the beginning as Creator, 
as the leader of Israel in the wilderness, the One 
who inspired the prophecies of the Old Testa¬ 
ment, adds wonderful force to His work as Re¬ 
deemer, and as man’s Mediator and Advocate 
with the Father. 

The primary object of this book, however, is 
to present the Bible view of Christ as the coming 
King. In its pages we look forward to the time 
when, not as the Leader of Israel, neither as the 
Man of Sorrows will He appear to this world, 
but as One who comes in the blaze of His own 



IV 


INTRODUCTION. 


glory and of His Father’s also. He comes accom¬ 
panied by all the host of heavenly angels, and 
“on His vesture and on His thigh ” shines the 
inscription, “ King of kings, and Lord of 
lords.” 

He comes to take possession of the kingdom 
which He has purchased at an infinite price; 
He comes to redeem and take to Himself the 
subjects of His kingdom who have been faithful 
and loyal to Him through all the ages. At that 
time the righteous dead will be raised from 
their graves, and the righteous living will be 
changed, . and all, with immortality coursing 
through their veins, shall be “ caught up to¬ 
gether with them in the clouds to meet the Lord 
in the air: and so shall we ever be with the 
Lord.” 

Such themes are worthy of careful considera¬ 
tion by every one who desires to make his home 
in the earth made new, where the throne of God 
and the Lamb will be finally located, where Christ 
is our King and Elder Brother; with God for 
our loving Father, and with the redeemed of all 
ages, and the angels of God as our companions, 
we shall dwell forever free from sorrow, sickness, 
pain, and death. 

May this be our happy lot. 

The Author. 

CONTRIBUTORS.—The author gratefully acknowledges contributions on 
special subjects treated in this book, from the pens of J. O. Corliss, M. E. 
Kellogg, and G. C. Tenney. 


The Creator..page 7 

The Created. . . I2 

- The Redeemer. 1 7 

/-The Gospel in the Old Testament. 24 

The Leader of Israel. 29 

The Great Teacher. 34 

The Man of Sorrows. 45 

Christ Our Sacrifice. 55 

The Resurrection. 63 

The Lord’s Ascension. 69 

Christ Our Mediator and Advocate. 73 

^He Will Come Again. 77 

When Shall These Things Be?. 82 

Destruction of Jerusalem.. 88 

Great Tribulation. 96 

The Bible : Its Preservation and Its Enemies. 103 

Darkening of the Sun. 113 

The Falling Stars.. 121 

Famines. 127 

Pestilences.. 141 

Earthquakes. 151 

Volcanoes. 170 

Storms and Tidal Waves..176, 176 

Wars and Rumors of Wars. 193 

Distress of Nations. 204 

War Spirit and Peace Talk.212 

The Money Question. 222 

Capital and Labor.227 

The Coming Conflict. 242 

What Shall We Do?.252 

The Days of Noah. 260 

Iniquity Shall Abound. 264 

False Christs and False Prophets. 271 

Parable of the Fig Tree. 275 

The Gospel to All Nations.:.279 

One Taken, Another Left.283 

The True Israel. 287 

Emigration. 293 

The Coming King. 299 

The King’s Reward.306 

The New Jerusalem. 3 11 

[v] 











































o 





The Messiah .Frontispiece. 

The Babe of Bethlehem. 8 

The Eden Home of Our First Pa¬ 
rents . J 3 

The Forbidden Fruit. 14 

The Pharisee and the Publican ... 19 

“Our Righteousness as Filthy 

Rags ” . 20 

The Earthly Sacrifices Pointed to 

Christ. 2 3 

Abel's Offering —Cain’s Offering.. 26 

“Took and Eive”. 28 

Moses Smiting the Rock. 30 

The Fall of Jericho. 3 2 

The Baptism of Jesus. 36 

The Prodigal Eeavlng Home. 41 

Return of the Prodigal. 42 

“The Foxes have Holes, and the 
Birds of the Air have Nests”... 46 

Temptations of Christ.47, 48 

Christ the Way of Eife. 54 

The Cross of Calvary. 57 

The Sacrificial Eamb. 58 

Christ in Gethsemane. 61 

“ I am the Resurrection and 

the Eife ”. 64 

Burial of the Saviour. 65 

Pointing Sinners to Christ. 71 

Jesus and the Twelve on the Way 

to Olivet. 83 

If the Jar is Full, you can Pour 

Nothing into It. 86 

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem” .... 90 
“ Eet Him which is on the House¬ 
top not Come Down”. 92 

Siege of Jerusalem. 94 

Burning Bibles at St. Paul’s 

Cross, Eondon. 106 

Wycliffe’s Church at Eutterworth. 107 
First Reading of the Bible in 

Old St. Paul’s. 108 

Ea Tour —Val Pelice, (The 

Weldensian Capital) . no 

The British Bible Society House 

in Eondon. in 

The Dark Day . 116 

Position of the Planets necessaiy 

for an Eclipse. 117 

The Falling Stars (In Missis¬ 
sippi and at Niagara Falls). 124 


Famine in India. 128 

Victims of Famine in India. 130 

Treadmill Pumping Machine of 

India. 132 

Old Palace at Amber Restored .... 135 

The Eocust Plague . 138 

A Rabbit Drive in California. 140 

Hospital in the Plague District — 

India . 142 

Burning the Dead in India . 144 

San Francisco Earthquake and 

Fire. 150 

Wreck of Cathedral Tower at Ma¬ 
nila, by Earthquake, in 1880.... 152 
The Noted Earthquake at Eisbon, 

Portugal, in 1755 . ..:. 154 

San Francisco During the Fire 

and Afterward. 156 

San Francisco after the 

Earthquake. 158 

Ruins of Agnew Asylum and 

Stanford University. 160 

Ruins at San Jose, Mountain 

View, and Santa Rosa. 162 

Valparaiso, Destroyed by Earth¬ 
quake . 166 

Quillotta, now Destroyed... 167 


Volcanic Eruption of Mt. Pelee... 174 
Wreck of the Presbyterian Church 

at Eafayette Park, St. Eouis_ 180 

The Cyclone as it struck Ead’s 
Bridge, St. Eouis, May 27, i 896 .. 181 
Bradshaw, Neb., Destroyed by Cy¬ 


clone . 182 

Destruction of Shizuhaw, Japan, by 

Tidal Wave, June 15, 1896. 183 

After the Galveston Hurricane 

and Tidal Wave. 1F5 

Typhoon at Hongkong. 188 

Mobile Cotton Wharves. Shipping 
Washed Ashore. 189 


Wreck of Shipping at Pensacola.. 192 
War-Ships of Different Nations. 193-203 
Soldiers of Different Nations.. .204-211 

Portraits of Prominent Men_224-246 

God is Able of These Stones.. 288 


Pilgrims and Strangers.296 

Mount of Olives. 315 


Note. — Titles in Small Capital Eetters are of full page illustrations, 
[vi] 























































■ IB tbe beginning 6od created the heaven and tbe 
eartb* And tbe eartb was without torn, and 
void; and darkness was upon tbe face ot tbe 
deep*” Genesis 1:1, 2* 


How great the Being must be, who could make 
au earth like ours, who could make the grass and 
trees, fruits and flowers, to grow and flourish, who 
could cause to live and move, think and love, the 
intelligent creatures of the world in which we live. 

The way in which God created all things is in 
harmony with His greatness. The Psalmist says : 
“He spake, and it was done; He commanded, 
and it stood fast.” Psalms 33 : 9. It is plain from 
this text that what the Creator did was to speak , 
and His word, as spoken through Christ, made the 
world. 

Referring to the creation, Paul says: “ The 

worlds were framed by the word of God, so that 
things which are seen were not made of things 
which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3. The world 
was not made of anything which we can see, but 
was the product of the Creator’s word. 

The apostle tells us that life dwells in the 

[7] 




8 


THE COMING KING. 


Word , and that this life is “ the light of men” 
John i: 4. Men live, and think, and act because 
of the power of God’s Word. This Word, which 
created the worlds in the beginning, has the same 

power to-day 
which it had 
then. 

Christ is 
called the 
“Word of 
God.” The 
apostle says: 
“And the 
Word was made 
flesh, and dwelt among us.” 
John 1: 14. The helpless babe, 
born in a manger at Bethlehem, 
in reality was the Being who cre¬ 
ated the world in the beginning. 
He was the Son of God, the Only 
Begotten of the Father, and had 
been with God before the world 
was created. 

The prayer of Jesus makes the 
above statement regarding the pre¬ 
existence of Christ very plain. “ And now, O 
Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self 
with the glory which I had with Thee before 
the world was.” John 17:5. 

And one of the Old Testament prophets has 
left the following record: “ But thou, Beth-lehem 



















THE CREATOR. 


9 


Ephratah, though thou be little among the thou¬ 
sands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come 
forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; 
whose goings forth have been from of old, from 
everlasting,” [Heb. from the days of eternity\. 
Micah 5:2. 

Christ was from eternal ages a sharer in His 
Father’s heavenly glory, but by a miracle alto¬ 
gether beyond our comprehension, came to the 
earth to be a man among men, to carry our 
griefs, and to share our experiences, that finally 
we might share His glory. Hebrews 2:9, 14. 
Jesus said: “Father, I will that they also, whom 
Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; 
that they may behold My glory, which Thou 
hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the 
foundation of the world.” John 17:24. 

John also said: “In the beginning was the 
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 
was God. The same was in the beginning with 
God.” John 1 : 1, 2. Christ was with the Father 
when the world was planned and made. He 
worked out the purposes of His Father when He 
spoke the word which created the earth. 

Of the part which Christ took in the creation 
of the world the apostle John says: “All things 
were made by Him; and without Him was not 
any thing made that was made.” “ He was in 
the world, and the world was made by Him, 
and the world knew Him not.” John 1 : 3, 10. 

In John 1 : 1 the Word (Christ) is called God. 


IO 


THE COMING KING. 


The Father himself declares: “Thy throne, O 
God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteous¬ 
ness is the scepter of Thy kingdom.” Hebrews 
i: 8; Psalms 45:6. In these texts it will be 
seen that the Son is called God by the Father. 

Isaiah, giving the names that apply to Christ, 
says: “For unto us a Child is born, unto ns a 
Son is given: and the government shall be upon 
His shoulder: and His name shall be called Won¬ 
derful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlast¬ 
ing Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9 : 6. 
These names, and many others, the Bible gives 
to Christ, to show that He is the Word and 
Power of God. 

These titles, as applied to Christ, are very ap¬ 
propriate when we consider His exalted position 
as stated by Paul: “ Who, being in the form of 
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” 
Philippians 2 : 6. Standing equal with the Father 
in the realm of Heaven, and in all the created 
universe, it can be plainly seen that He should 
bear the titles of the Creator. 

Of the glory of Christ Paul says: “ Who is 
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of 
every creature: for by Him were all things cre¬ 
ated, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, 
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or 
dominions, or principalities, or powers : all things 
were created by Him, and for Him: and He is 
before all things, and by Him all things consist.” 
Colossians 1: 15-17. 


THE CREATOR. 


II 


The same apostle also says: “ God . . . hath 
in these last days spoken unto ns by His Son, 
Whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by 
Whom also He made the worlds; Who being 
the brightness of His glory, and the express im¬ 
age of His person, and upholding all things by 
the Word of His power, when Pie had by Him¬ 
self purged our sins, sat down on the right hand 
of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews i: 1-3. 

Jesus, the Son of God, and our Redeemer, cre¬ 
ated the heavens and the earth, as well as the 
other planets of the universe, and all they con¬ 
tain. He not only created all things, but He 
sustains, or holds together, all that He has cre¬ 
ated. One day follows another, the seasons come 
and go, because, by the Word of His power, all 
things consist and remain. It is the Word of 
His power that keeps the earth, the sun, the 
moon, and the stars in their places. 

Such a Saviour may well be trusted with our all. 
We may rest in Him as in a faithful Cre¬ 
ator, knowing that “ there hath 
. not failed one word of all 
His good promise ” 
(1 Kings 8 : 56) to the 
children of men; and 
that, accepting His 
Word, we too shall 
be upheld, even as 
“ all things are up¬ 
held by the Word 
of His power.” 



H's power." 




The 0-REATEt) 


Zm the heavens and the earth were finished, and all 
the host of them*” Genesis 2:1, “lln six days 
tbe ftord made beaven and eartb, tbe sea, and all 
that In tbem is/’ £xodus 20:11* 


ThK first chapter in the Bible tells of the 
most wonderful week the world has ever known. 
In it this earth was made. At first it was all dark, 
surrounded by mists, and covered with water. 

On the first day of this week the voice of God 
caused the light to shine where all was dark¬ 
ness before. On the second day the mists were 
collected into clouds, and the firmament was made. 
On the third day the dry land appeared, and out 
of it God made to grow the trees, the grass, the 
beautiful flowers, and all vegetation. 

On the fourth day He appointed the sun to 
shine by day, and the moon and stars to rule the 
night. On the fifth day He made great whales, 
the fish, and all the animals that live in the sea, 
and the birds and fowls that fly in the air. 

The work done on the sixth day of creation 
[ 12 ] 
















THE CREATED. I3 

week was the most wonderful of all. On this 
day God made the beasts of the field, the cattle, 
and all creeping things. But last, and best of 
all, God made man, the “ noblest work of 
God,” because made “in His own image.” 

Genesis 1:27. 

“ And God blessed them, and God 
said unto them, Be fruitful, and multi¬ 
ply, and replenish the earth, and subdue 
it: and have dominion over the fish of 
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, 
and over every living thing that moveth 
upon the earth.” Genesis 1:28. 

Not only was man made king 
of this earth, and absolute 
ruler of everything in it, but 
the earth itself was given to 
him. David says: “The 
heaven, even the heavens, 
are the Lord’s: but the 
earth hath He given to 
the children of men.” 

Psalms 115:16. 

“ And the Lord God planted 
a garden eastward in Eden; 
and there He put the man whom He had 
formed. And out of the ground made the Lord 
God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the 
sight, and good for food.” Genesis 2 : 8, 9. 

What a beautiful garden home this must 
have been! No curse rested upon it, no weeds 





THE COMING KING. 


nor briers grew in its soil. Everything that 
nature required, or the heart could desire, was 
provided for our first parents. 

And God caused to grow “the tree of life 
also in the midst of the garden.” This was a 


wonderful tree, for its fruit 
one alive as long 
s privilege of eat- 
But the length 
man would be al- 
of the tree of life, 



was to be de¬ 
cided by his own 


own 



obey God, he 
gfc could eat of the 
fruit, but as 
Wr soon as he 


forbidden should disobey. 

FRUIT. n 1 J 


he would no 


longer have any right to it, and so would become 
subject to death. 

In the garden was another tree, called the tree 
of the knowledge of good and evil. The fruit 
which it bore appeared luscious, and as invit¬ 
ing as that which grew elsewhere. But God 
said, “ Thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day 
that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” 
Genesis 2:17. God could have prevented man 
from eating of that fruit; but had He done so 


THE CREATED. 


*5 


it could not have been shown whether man in¬ 
tended to obey Him or not. God is pleased only 
with willing obedience. Nothing else satisfies 
Him, because it is only by willing, cheerful obe¬ 
dience, that we show our love for Him. “ God 
is love,” and loving service only is acceptable to 
Him. So God gives to every one the power of 
choice, to obey Him and live, or to disobey Him 
and die. 

Those who truly obey God serve Him be¬ 
cause they love Him, and love His ways. Those 
who dislike God’s ways will not walk in them. 
He who walks in God’s ways grows to be like 
Him, and so becomes fitted to dwell with God, and 
to be associated with the sinless angels who live 
with Him. 

But we are just as free to disobey as we are 
to obey. God tells us, as He told Adam and Eve 
in Eden, what He wants us to do, and what dis¬ 
obedience will bring us; then He leaves us to 
choose what we will do. If God should force men 
to obey Him, against their will, their hearts would 
not be changed. If compelled to act in a way 
contrary to their choice, they would hate God still 
more; thus their service would neither benefit 
themselves nor aid the cause of God. For this 
reason man is left perfectly free to do as he 
chooses. 

Adam and Eve, tempted by Satan, failed to 
obey God. They chose to eat of the forbidden 
fruit, and in consequence lost their Eden home. 


THE COMING KING. 


It) 

God mercifully expelled them from the garden. 
and carefully guarded every avenue of approach 
to the tree of life, in order to prevent their par¬ 
taking of its fruit, and thereby perpetuating an 
existence in sin. See Genesis 3:22-24. 

Thus deprived of the life-giving properties 
of this wonderful fruit, they had no hope of life. 
The sentence of death was even then being car¬ 
ried out. How changed their condition! From 
a state of innocent happiness they passed into a 
state of guilt and sorrow, having chosen Satan 
as their leader and king. 

But the effects of their mistake did not cease 
with themselves. All that were born of them, 
yea, all the human race, came under the same 
sentence of death. Paul tells the story in few 
words: “As by one man sin entered into the 
world, and death by sin; ... so death passed 
upon all men.” Romans 5:12. 

All the race would have been lost, had God 
provided no way of escape from eternal death, 
but His love found a refuge for all who would en¬ 
ter it. Speaking of this refuge the apostle says: 
“We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than 
the angels for the suffering of death, crowned 
with glory and honor; that He by the grace of 
God should taste death for every man.” Hebrews 
2:9. If we, too, see Jesus, as the One who has 
tasted death for us, and flee to the refuge He 
has provided, we may confidently hope in His 
salvation. 



m so loved the world, that Ibe save Ibis oniv 
Seaotten Son, that whosoever bellevetb in 
Ibim should not perish, hut have everlast* 
tng life/' John 3:16* 


The eternal purpose of God 
from the beginning has been that every intelligent 
being should yield Him obedience and loving serv¬ 
ice, because by this very loving service man would 
reach the highest degree of happiness. 

Man was created perfect — in the image of God. 
Through sin his innocence was lost, condemning 
him to death. Justice demanded this, but while 
abhorring sin, God loved the sinner still, because 
God never changes. Malachi 3:6; James 1:17. 

The heavenly angels loved man also, so all 
heaven was filled with sorrow when he fell. The 
law of God, which the heavenly beings held as 
sacred, man had trampled upon ; and death, which 
till then had not been known, would now follow 
everywhere in the track of sin. To the guilty 
pair there seemed no way of escape. 

There was One, however, and only one in the 
universe, who could pay the debt, and redeem lost 
man. He only could redeem who had power to 
create. The Son of God, the only Begotten of the 

[17] 








the: coming king. 


18 

Father, could meet man’s needs, and He offered 
Himself as a ransom for sinners. But will God 
give up His only Son, whom He dearly loves, for 
such a purpose? 

Does He love the poor sinner enough to make 
such a sacrifice for him? What a struggle it 
must have been for the great God to decide to 
give up His much beloved Son to die for a 
wretched, guilty race! 

Yet He did this very thing, for His love is an 
“ everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3. So when man 
fell, “ God so loved the world that He gave His 
only Begotten Son.” Not only did Christ die for 
us, but He has been given to us forever. He is 
ours, now, and through the endless ages of eter¬ 
nity. What boundless love is this ! It is beyond 
all human understanding. It is, however, the love 
of God, the Father, toward man. 

How different is this from the thought some 
entertain, that God is a pitiless Judge, whose de¬ 
sire is to destroy the transgressor, and that the 
constant pleading of Christ alone prevents Him 
from pouring out the vials of His wrath upon 
the sinner’s head. 

But we can now see that God and Christ are 
one in counsel, one in purpose, one in love, and 
one in their desire and effort to “ save that which 
was lost.” 

It is not God who must be reconciled to man. 
God’s character has never changed; but man has 
departed from God’s ways. Man, through sinful 


THE redeemer. 


19 

thoughts, stands unreconciled to God. To teach 
him to love God, and so to bring him into har¬ 
mony with Him, was the mission of Christ to 
this earth. This, too, was the work of God, for 
“ God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto 
Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5 : 19. 

Therefore, whenever Christ appeared 
among men, God was working through 
Him to redeem man. All that 
Christ said or did was the life of 
God, showing through Christ, to 
tell of His love to fallen humanity. 
Through sin, man had be¬ 
come defiled. He had ex¬ 
changed his beautiful gar¬ 
ments of righteousness and 
glory for filthy rags. He 
was wearing the clothing of 
a convict, and was under sen¬ 
tence of death. 

But Christ did not permit 
the thought of man’s degra¬ 
dation to hold Him back from 
a Z e pu b ,tZr^~^ the lost world. He left His royal 
Luke ib:w. ro bes in heaven, and came to earth to 
live with, and wear the garb of, criminals. He 
took their nature. Hebrews 2:17; Romans 8:3. 
He was tempted in all points as they were. He¬ 
brews 4 : 15. He was made “to be sin ” for them, 
though He knew no sin. 2 Corinthians 5:'21. 
He came to earth in human form, and placed 








20 


THE COMING ICING. 


Himself by the sinner’s side, in order to show him 
a perfect life, that is, God’s life in human flesh, 
saying by this to the sinner, “This is what God 
desires yon to be.” 

If we will permit Him, He will rescue us from 
our criminal position, take from us our sin-stained 

garments of 
filthy rags, and 
clothe us with 
the beautiful 
garments of His 
righteousness. 

In Zachariah 

3 : 3 - 5 we rea d 

as follows: “Now 
Joshua was 
clothed with 
filthy garments, 
and stood before 
the angel. And 
he [the angel] 
answered and 
spake unto those 
that stood before 
him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from 
him. And unto him [Joshua] he said, Behold, I 
have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and 
I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” In 
this text Joshua represents the sinner, and also 
the change that takes place in him after he be¬ 
comes reconciled to God. 



nesses are as Filthy Righteousness 

Rags ” Isa. 64 :6. Isa. 61:10. 










THE REDEEMER. 


21 


Fallen man cannot earn righteousness by any 
works be may perform. It is the free gift of God 
to all wbo will accept it. When a sinner turns 
to Christ, realizing that in so doing lies his only 
hope, he is pardoned, justified, and clothed upon 
by the righteousness of Christ. Christ’s righteous¬ 
ness is then imputed to him. 

Our Saviour illustrates this in the prayers of 
the Pharisee and the publican: “ Two men went 
up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, 
and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood 
and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, 
that I am not as other men are, extortioners, un¬ 
just, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast 
twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I 
possess. 

“ And the publican, standing afar off, would 
not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but 
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to 
me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to 
his house justified rather than the other: for 
every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; 
and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” 
Luke 18: 10-14. He was forgiven, justified, made 
righteous. 

Only one way could be devised to save the fallen. 
Man had broken God’s holy law, and cut himself 
off from God. That law could not be changed to 
save the sinner, and even if it could have been, this 
would not have reconciled man to God. To change 
God’s law, therefore, would not elevate man, on 


22 


THE COMING KING. 


the contrary it would lower the Creator. This 
could not be, and so the suffering of the Son of 
God had to follow. 

When the eternal purpose of God is finally 
worked out in the wonderful plan of redemption, 
“ not only men, hut angels, will ascribe honor and 
glory to the Redeemer; for even they are secure 
only through the sufferings of the Son of God. 

11 Not only those who are washed by the blood 
of Christ, but the holy angels also, are drawn to 
Him by His crowning act of giving His life for the 
sins of the world. ‘ And I, if I be lifted up from 
the earth, will draw ALE unto me’ * not only earth, 
but heaven; for of Him ‘ the whole family in 
heaven and earth is named.’ ” John 12:32; Ephe¬ 
sians 3:15. “That in the dispensation of the 
fulness of times He might gather together in one 
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, 
and which are on earth; even in Him.” Ephe¬ 
sians 1: 10. 

The plan of redemption met immediately the 
sin and fall of man. God accepted the offer of 
Christ to die for the sinner. Hence Christ is the 
“Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” 
Revelation 13:8. Throughout the ages the sac¬ 
rifice of Christ has been the hope and comfort of 
the faithful. 

* The word “ men ” in our translation of the Bible is a supplied 
word, and is not found in the original. Words found in italics in our 
version indicate that these words are supplied by the translators. In 
some cases these supplied words are misleading, and in others actu¬ 
ally needless. An instance of the latter is found in 2 Samuel 13 : 39. 



THE REDEEMER. 


23 


The blood of Christ, through faith, brought 
pardon to the repentant sinner during the ages 
before His death, just as surely as it does to us 
who are living this side of the crucifixion. Their 
faith looked forward to a Saviour to come; ours 
looks backward to the crucified Redeemer of Cal¬ 
vary. 

The blood of the innocent lamb, which was 
offered as a sacrifice by the patriarchs, was a 
type of the blood of Christ. It showed their faith 
in the coming Redeemer, and brought 
pardon for their sins. These sacrifices 
were necessary until Christ should 
come and die; for “ without shed¬ 
ding of blood is no remission.” 
Hebrews 9:22. Our accept¬ 
ance of Christ, by faith, brings 
pardon for our transgression. 
Thus the gospel of salva¬ 
tion, through Christ, is 



the same both before 
and after the cru¬ 
cifixion. And in 
it all, “ God was 
in Christ rec¬ 
onciling the 
world unto 
Himself.” 


The Earthly Sacrifices 

Pointed to Christ, 





tral figure of this plan. “ Neither is there salva¬ 
tion in any other: for there is none other name 
under heaven given among men, whereby we must 
be saved.” Acts 4:12. 

This, as we have shown, applies to all ages, for 
Christ is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of 
the world.” Revelation 13:8. It is a mistake to 
suppose that there have been two plans of salva¬ 
tion — one for the patriarchs and Hebrews living 
before the cross, and another for the Christians of 
the present dispensation. 

It is a mistake to suppose that Old Testament 
sinners were forgiven and saved through obedience 
to the law without faith in the atonement and par¬ 
doning love of Christ. 

It is equally a mistake to suppose that we of 
the New Testament dispensation are saved by the 
gospel of Christ while disregarding the law of God. 

[24] 







THE GOSPEL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. 2 $ 

Faith, in Christ brings pardon for past sins. His 
abiding presence, and the transforming power of the 
Holy Spirit, enable us to obey the requirements of 
the law of God, and so prepare and fit us to dwell 
with the holy angels throughout eternity. 

The word “ gospel ” means good news — good 
news of redemption through Jesus Christ. How 
long has this gospel been proclaimed? Was it first 
given in the time of Christ ? Or was it first made 
known to Moses or Abraham? When God pro¬ 
claimed to the first guilty pair that the seed of the 
woman (Christ) should bruise the serpent’s (Satan’s) 
head (Genesis 3:15), He gave them the gospel, or 
good news, that Christ would overcome Satan, and 
open a way of escape for fallen man. In this prom¬ 
ise to Adam and his posterity, we hear the gospel 
of the Redeemer as truly as did the shepherds on 
the plains of Bethlehem, as they listened to the won¬ 
derful anthem from the angel choir, “ Glory to 
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will 
toward men.” Luke 2:14. 

Abel’s faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ made 
his offering acceptable to God. The fire that came 
from heaven and consumed his sacrifice was the 
testimony from God that his faith in Christ, and 
his compliance with the requirements of God, had 
brought him pardon and justification by faith. He¬ 
brews 11:4. 

Cain, while professedly obedient, had a heart 
full of rebellion and unbelief. The love of Christ 
had no place in his sacrifice, therefore it was re- 


26 


THK COMING KING. 


jectedof heaven. With it there was no recognition 
of the wonderful provisions of the gospel, hence his 
offering brought no forgiveness, no justification, 
for there was no exhibition of faith. 

Envy and hatred of his brother sprang up in 
the heart of Cain, because the love of Christ 
\\\ had no place in him. And then 

followed the awful trage¬ 
dy of the mur¬ 
der of Abel, 
which was the 
first death the 
world had 
known. “And 

'' -i r 

v/ wherefore 

Cain’s Offering. g^ him? 

Because his own works were 
evil, and his brother’s right- 

Abel’e Offering. eOUS.” I John 3112. 

Cain’s offering of the fruits of the ground was 
not in accordance with God’s plan. Such an offer¬ 
ing could not in any way represent the atoning 
blood of Christ, for Paul says, “ without shedding 
of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22. 

Evil thoughts lead to evil deeds. If the love 
of Christ dwells not in onr hearts, hatred is sure to 
take possession. The gospel was preached to Abra¬ 
ham. “And the scripture, forseeing that God 
would justify the heathen through faith, preached 
before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee 
shall all nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8. Paul 




THE GOSPEL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. 27 

here quotes from Genesis 22:18: “ And in thy seed 
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” In 
Galatians 3:16 Paul says this “seed” is Christ. 

Through the wonderful mercy of God, Christ 
was preached to Abraham, and this was the gospel 
of justification by faith, the same as we have it. 

Moses and the children of Israel had the gospel; 
for Paul says: u Unto us was the gospel preached, 
as well as unto them; but the word preached did 
not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them 
that heard it .” Hebrews 4:2. Here the apostle 
treats it as a well-known fact that their fathers had 
the gospel. He states that we have the gospel as 
as well as they. The same gospel their fathers had 
received was then being proclaimed by the apos¬ 
tles. 

All the sacrifices and offerings of the old dis¬ 
pensation simply showed forth man’s faith in the 
coming of a Messiah. When properly offered, they 
were the very strongest evidence of faith in, and 
acceptance of, the gospel of Jesus Christ. With¬ 
out this faith, the Levitical sacrifices could be of 
no more avail than was the offering of Cain. 

But this faith was not cherished by those 
who came out of the bondage of Egypt. Hence 
they were compelled to wander forty years in the 
wilderness until their carcasses fell by the way, 
and a generation that knew God had taken their 
place. Two faithful ones alone of all the vast 
company that left Egypt Caleb and Joshua — 
finally entered the promised land. 


28 


THE COMING KING. 


The brazen serpent (Numbers 21:8) was an ob¬ 
ject-lesson teaching the children of Israel of the 
Christ to come. “Look and live,” is the true test 
of faith in Christ. As one look at the brazen ser¬ 
pent, set np in view of all the camp 
of Israel, brought life and health to 
the sufferer, so one look at the cruci¬ 
fied One of Calvary brings life and 
salvation to the repentant sinner. 

Christ gives the connection be¬ 
tween the raising np of the serpent 
in the wilderness and his own cru¬ 
cifixion, thus: “As Moses lifted 
up the serpent in the wilder¬ 
ness, even so must the Son 
of Man be lifted np.” John 
3:14. Later He explains 
the object of this: “ And I, 
if I be lifted np from the 
earth, will draw all men 
unto Me.” John 12:32. 

When the Israelites in the wilderness were suf¬ 
fering in the death agony occasioned by the bite of 
the fiery serpents, there was a power connected 
with that serpent of brass which attracted the 
attention of the sufferers, and all who turned and 
looked upon it were healed. 

Through the influence of the Holy Spirit our 
Lord is working upon the hearts of men. To 
the sinner He says, I have been tempted just as 
you are. There is hope, courage, and salvation in 
exchange for a look. Only look and live . 



u Look and Live." 




BEliaigBliF 

$ C&ipftMIfl of tbe bost of tbe lord am 1 
flow come/' Josbua 5:14* “ .flity presence 
shall fio wltb tbee*” £xodu« 33: 14* 



When the hosts of Israel 
left Egypt to go to the land of 
Canaan, they did not go alone. God 
said to them: “ Behold, I send an An¬ 
gel before thee, to keep thee in the way, 
and to bring thee into the place which I have 
prepared. Beware of Him, and obey His voice, 
provoke Him not; for He will not pardon your 
transgressions: for My name is in Him.” Exo¬ 
dus 23 : 20, 21. 

Only one being in the universe besides the 
Father bears the name of God, and that is His Son, 
Jesus Christ. Hence this Angel that accompanied 
Israel in their wanderings was no other than Christ. 
The Lord did not trust to an ordinary angel the 
work of leading his people from slavery to the 

[29] 











30 


THE COMING KING. 



promised land, but the Son of God, 
the Creator of the earth, the unseen 
leader of Israel, superintended it. 

But the rebellion of the people 
was so great that at one time Mo¬ 
ses feared that the Lord might 
leave them, and so 
he pleads: “ If Thy 
presence go not 
with me, carry us 
not up hence.” 

And the Lord an¬ 
swered : “ My pres¬ 
ence shall go with 
thee.” Exodus 33: 

14, *5- 

So, throughout 
their joumeyings, 
the presence of the 
Lord went with 
them as a pillar of Moses Sm,t,n ^ the Rock - 

cloud by day, which protected them from the in¬ 
tense heat of the desert. In the night this was 
changed to a pillar of fire, to give them light and 
comfort. When the Lord would have them jour¬ 
ney, the pillar would be lifted, and move in the 
direction they should take. When it stood still, 
the camp was pitched beneath its protection. 

Soon after leaving Egypt, they came into the 
desert, where there was no water. When Moses 
cried to the Lord, He directed him to the rock 




THE LEADER OF. ISRAEL. 31 

of Horeb. When Moses smote the rock, as com¬ 
manded, the waters flowed from it, and supplied 
all their needs. Ever after, in their wanderings, 
until they neared the promised land, wherever 
they camped there was the cooling stream of 
water in the desert, flowing from the rock. 

Paul declares that this was a type of Christ, who 
was with them. He says : “ Moreover, brethren, 
I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that 
all our fathers were under the cloud, and all 
passed through the sea; and were all baptized 
unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did 
all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink 
the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that 
spiritual Rock that followed them: and that rock 
was Christ.” i Corinthians io: 1-4. 

They were fed miraculously with manna, or 
angels’ food, and drank water which came as a 
miracle from the rock, but it was Christ, who was 
with them, who was the real source of supply. 
And Moses testified, “ Thy raiment waxed not 
old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these 
forty years.” Deuteronomy 8:4. 

We can now understand the statement of 
Stephen: “ This [Moses] is he, that was in the 
church in the wilderness with the Angel [Christ] 
which spake to him [Moses] in the Mount Sina, 
and with our fathers: who received the lively ora¬ 
cles [the law of God] to give unto us.” Acts 7:38. 

We have found the Angel in the wilderness 
to have been Christ. The Father and the Son 


3 


32 


THE. COMING KING. 


were doubtless both in the mount. But it was 
the Son as Mediator between God and man, who 
spoke the ten commandments from Mount Sinai, 
in the presence of Moses and the Hebrew fathers. 
Hence we see that Christ is not only the Creator, 
but He is also the giver of His Father’s law to 
this world. How appropriate, therefore, that He 
should, when on earth, proclaim Himself “Lord 



of the Sabbath,” and the expounder of all the 
precepts of His Father’s divine law. 

As the Hebrews reached the promised land, 
under the leadership of Joshua, as they were 
preparing to attack Jericho, the Lord appeared to 
Joshua in person. “And it came to pass, when 
Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes 
and looked, and, behold, there stood a Man over 
against him with His sword drawn in His hand; 
and Joshua went unto Him, and said unto Him, 
Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And 
He said, Nay; but as Captain of the host of 




THE LEADER OF ISRAEL. 33 

the Lord am I now come.” Joshua 5:13-15. 

Christ is the Captain, or Archangel, of the host 
of heavenly angels. See Jude 9; 1 Thessalonians 
4:16. The Angel told Joshua what the Israelites 
should do; and at the signal appointed, the “host 
of the Lord,” or the angels from heaven, threw 
down the walls of Jericho, and Joshua and his army 
finished the work as instructed by the Angel. 

The Spirit of Christ inspired the prophets of 
the former dispensation. It testified through them 
of Christ’s sufferings at His first advent, and of 
the glory that should follow at His second com¬ 
ing. The apostle, speaking of the great salva¬ 
tion which had come to the church through Jesus 
Christ, says that the prophets “ inquired and 
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace 
that should come unto you; searching what, or 
what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which 
was in them did signify, when it testified before¬ 
hand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that 
should follow.” r Peter 1:10, 11. 

Hence we can see that it was Christ who has 
given to us the Old as well as the New Testa¬ 
ment. He spoke through the prophets of the Old 
Testament, the same as He has through Peter, 
James, John, and Paul in the New. So we have 
a whole Bible, filled, from Genesis to Revelation, 
with the wonderful gospel of salvation through 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for which we 
will praise Him now and evermore. 



m seeing tbe multitudes, Use went up into a moun» 
tain: and when Ibe was set, ibis disciples came 


v unto Ibim: and Ibe opened Ibis rnoutb, and taugbt 
JL tbenu” /iftattbew 5:1, 5. 


Before sin entered the world, there was noth¬ 
ing to hinder direct intercourse between God and 
man, and the Creator could make known to men 
his purposes, wishes, and requirements. Sin sep¬ 
arated man from God, as a sinner cannot remain 
in the presence of the holy God. 

God still loved man after he had sinned, and 
at once began the work for his salvation. He pur¬ 
posed, at a later time, to send his Son into the 
world, but the people needed immediate instruc¬ 
tion, and so, from among themselves, God raised up 
men to whom, in dreams and visions, or in a more 
direct manner, He revealed His will, that they 
might make it known to the people. 

Noah was one of these; Moses was another, 
and these teachers were inspired by Christ, who 

[ 34 ] 








THE GREAT TEACHER. 


35 


from the beginning, took charge of the world 
which he had created, and which he purposed to 
redeem. 

These teachers prophesied that Christ would 
come. The prophet Isaiah especially foretold very 
minutely the sufferings and death of the Saviour. 
See Isaiah 53. Of all of these prophets the apostle 
Peter declares that “ the Spirit of Christ which was 
in them . . . testified beforehand the sufferings of 
Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 
1: 11. 

The prophets were not always well treated by 
those they came to benefit. Often they were shame¬ 
fully beaten, and in other ways persecuted, and 
some of them were put to death. Men like to do 
as they please; they do not like to have their evil 
conduct pointed out and reproved ; nor do men nat¬ 
urally love that which is good. Only by having a 
new heart given him by Christ can any one do 
that which pleases God. 

In the parable of the vineyard Christ describes 
the treatment these teachers received. He said:— 

“ There was a certain householder, which 
planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, 
and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, 
and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far 
country : and when the time of the fruit drew near, 
he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they 
might receive the fruits of it. And the husband¬ 
men took his servants, and beat one, and killed 
another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other 


3 ^ 


THE COMING KING. 



servants more than the first: and 
they did unto them likewise. But 
last of all he sent unto them his 
son, saying, They will rever¬ 
ence my son.” Mat- ^ 

thew 21: 33-37. *cVl 

Therefore after 
many other teach¬ 
ers had been sent 

into the world, \"f 1 H'lWZTOH 

Christ, who had 
inspired them 
all, came him¬ 
self as the great¬ 
est teacher that 
the world ever 
knew; and even 
his enemies were 
forced to say, 

“Never man The Baptism of Jesus. 

spake like this man.” John 7:46. 

The public ministry of Jesus began when he 
reached the age of thirty years. Before beginning 
to preach, he came to the river Jordan, where John 
was baptizing, and was baptized by him. Jesus 
was not a sinner, so John at first hesitated to bap¬ 
tize Him. But when he learned that Jesus desired 
to set an example for those who should follow 
Him, he consented. 

When Jesus was baptized, as he came up out 
of the water, “the heavens were opened unto Him, 




THE GREAT TEACHER. 


37 


and lie saw the Spirit of God descending like a 
dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo, a voice from 
heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom 
I am well pleased.” Matthew 3 : 13-17. Thus 
strengthened for his soon-coming conflict with 
Satan, the Saviour went forth to teach the ways 
of God to the people. 

Christ bore a message of love from the heav¬ 
enly Father to mankind, and the words which he 
spoke were his Father’s words. “ The word which 
ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent 
me,” he said. John 14 : 24. 

About the first public teaching of Jesus was 
the Sermon on the Mount. In it He taught that 
those who are poor in spirit, who mourn because of 
their sins, who are meek, who long for righteous 
ness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peace 
makers, are blessed of God, and that those who are 
persecuted for righteousness’ sake may rejoice 
even while suffering. Matthew 5 : 1-11. 

How comforting these words have been to thou¬ 
sands of the children of God who have had to pass 
through many hardships, and to meet many afflic¬ 
tions, as they have tried to follow in the footsteps 
of the Master. These promises have eased many 
heartaches, and lighted up with divine glory many 
an otherwise weary road. 

Christ’s teaching in regard to the law of the 
Father deserves careful attention. As the Father 
said, “ Hear ye Him,” let us hear Him upon this 
point: “ Think not that I am come to destroy the 


38 


THE COMING KING. 


law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but 
to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven 
and earth pass, one jot or 
one tittle shall in nowise 
pass from the law, till all 
be fulfilled. Whosoever 
therefore shall break one of 
these least commandments, 
and shall teach men so, he 
shall be called the least in 
the kingdom of heaven : but 
whosoever shall do and 
teach them, the same shall 
be called great in the king¬ 
dom of heaven.” Matthew 

5 ' i7" I 9- 

That the Lord here re¬ 
fers especially to the ten 
commandments is evident 
because following these 
words, he quotes the sixth 
and seventh commandments, 
and shows that hatred is 
murder and that lust is 
adultery. 

One of the prophets 
(Isaiah) had declared that 
Christ would magnify the 
law (Isaiah 42:21), and he 
did. As explained by Jesus, the law takes hold 
upon the very thoughts of the heart. No one can 


THE LAW OF GOD. 

I 

Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. 

II 

Thou shalt not make unto toee any graven 
image, or any likeness of any thing that is in 
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, 
or that is in the water under the earth : tbou 
shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve 
them ; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous 
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers.upon 
the children unto the third and fourth gen¬ 
eration of them that hate Me ; and showing 
mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, 
and keep My commandments. 

III 

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord 
thy God in vain ; for the Lord will not hold 
him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. 

IV 

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 
8ix days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: 
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the 
Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any 
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy 
manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy 
cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy 
gates : for in six days the Lord made heaven 
and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, 
and rested the seventh day: wherefore the 
Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. 


Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy 
days may be long upon the land which the 
Lord thy God giveth thee. 

VI 

Thou shalt not kill. 

VII 

Thou shalt not commit adulterv. 

VIII 

Thou shalt not steal. 

IX 

Thou shalt not bear false witness against 
thy neighbor. 

X 

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, 
rhou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor 
his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor hie 
ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is ths 
neighbor s. 

The only perfect law. It never 
required amending 1 . 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 


39 


say, therefore that he has never broken that law, 
and that he does not need the blood of Christ to 
cleanse from sin. 

It is very natural for us to love those who love 
us, and hate those who have injured us; but the 
Saviour taught a better way, even His way. He 
said, “ Love your enemies, bless them that curse 
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for 
them which despitefully use you, and persecute 
you.” Matthew 544. 

How noble is such teaching! The w r orld would 
almost be heaven if men v/ould heed it. Does the 
law ask too much of us ? — No, indeed; obedience 
would produce universal happiness, for none can 
be happy while hating others, or seeking to in¬ 
jure them. 

By following the instruction of the Saviour we 
may become like God; for Jesus says that in so 
doing we “may be the children of our Father 
which is in heaven ; for He maketh His sun to rise 
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on 
the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5 :45. 

As long as God sends his blessings — his sun¬ 
shine, his rain — on any one, he must love him; 
and if God loves him, why should not we ? Oh for 
more of the love of God to be shed abroad in our 
heart by the Holy Spirit! Then it would be easy 
to love even as we have been loved of God. Jesus 
taught us to pray God to forgive our trespasses 
even as we forgive those who trespass against us. 
Matthew 5:12-15, How, then, can we breathe 


40 


THE COMING KING. 


THE LORD’S PRAYER. 

Onr Father which art in heaven. Hallowed 
be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. JL'uy will 
be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us 
this day our daily bread. And forgive us our 
debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us 
not into temptation, but, deliver us from 
evil: for T iine is the kingdom, and the 
power, and the glory, forever. Amen. 

A perfect prayer. It embraces every 
need of humanity. 


that holy prayer, or hope for God’s mercy, while 
cherishing hatred against any ? 

But the greatest of all Christ’s teachings — the 
one thing that he desires ns to know — is that we, 
poor sinners, can through him return to God, and 
find mercy, pardon, and sal¬ 
vation. To teach this, and 
to teach it so that all would 
know it, he came to earth. 

No one could teach it as he 
could, for no one knew the 
Father’s love as He knew 
it; no other being except 
the Father ever loved us as He loves us. 

Jesus mingled with the poor and needy. Free 
from sin himself, He associated with sinners. The 
self-righteous Pharisees murmured against Him 
because he received sinners and ate with them. 
Luke 15:1. Blessed record, hope of the otherwise 
hopeless — Jesus receives sinners ! He receives 
them still. 

How Christ receives sinners He taught in the 
parable of the prodigal son. “ A certain man had 
two sons: and the younger of them said to his 
father, Father, give me the portion of goods that 
falleth to me. And he divided unto them his liv¬ 
ing. And not many days after the younger son 
gathered all together, and took his journey into 
a far country, and there wasted his substance with 
riotous living. 

“ And when he had spent all, there arose a 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 


41 


mighty famine in that land; and he began to be 
in want. And he went and joined himself to a cit¬ 
izen of that country; and he sent him into his 
fields to feed swine. And he would fain have 
filled his belly with the husks that the swine did 
eat: and no man gave unto him. 

“And when he came to himself, he 
said, How many hired servants 
°f m y Other’s have bread enough 
and to 
spare, and 
I perish 
with hun¬ 
ger! I will 


me. 

Riotous Living. 

arise and go to my father, and 
will say unto him, Father I have 
sinned against heaven, and before 
thee, and am no more worthy to 
be called thy son: make me as 
one of thy hired servants.” And this interesting 
record continues:— 

“ And hfe arose, and came to his father. But 
when he was yet a great way off, his father saw 
him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his 
neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto 
him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and 
in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called 




Feeding Swine. 






42 


THE COMING KING. 


thy son. But the father said to his servants, 
Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and 
put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and 
bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us 
eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and 
is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” Luke 
15* II “24* 

The prodigal son represents a 
sinner. He has wandered away 
from his Father’s house; 
he is in the greatest need 
of everything, bankrupt in 
character, trying to feed 
his hungry soul upon the 
low and worthless things 
of this world. But God 
sends His Spirit to convict 
him of sin, and if he will 
yield to that Spirit, he will 
no longer try to live on 
husks ; he will arise 
and return to his 
Father. And how 
will this sinful son 
be received? — Oh, when he is 
yet a great way off, if but his face is turned 
homeward, the Father will run to meet him. He 
will not receive him as a servant, but as a son. 
The best robe is none too good for him; the 
choicest food is placed before him; there is joy 
and rejoicing, for a sinner has returned to the 



the great teacher. 


43 


Lord; he has come back to his Father’s house. 

This is the lesson that Jesus teaches in this par¬ 
able. How can one wander from such a loving, 
heavenly Father? yet, having wandered, how can 
he longer stay away ? 

It is easy to believe that the Father loves the 
Son, but we should believe also that He loves us 
equally well. If it were not so, why did He give 
His Son to die that we might live ? We are all the 
children of God by creation; and, redeemed by 
Christ, we can be restored if we will, to the favor 
of God, and become again members of the Father’s 
family. 

Of those who received His words when here on 
earth, He said : “I have given unto them the words 
which Thou gavest me; and they have received 
them, and have known surely that I came out from 
Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send 
me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, 
but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they 
are Thine.” John 17:8,9. 

And not only for those who listened to the 
words that fell from His lips did Jesus pray, but 
for all believers even to the end of time; for, con¬ 
tinuing, He prayed: “ Neither pray I for these 

alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me 
through their word; that they all may be one: as 
Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they 
may be one in Us : that the world may believe that 
Thou hast sent Me.” John 17 : 20, 21. With such 
a loving Teacher, whose sole purpose is to do us 


44 


THE COMING KING. 


good, who has even given His life for us, and 
whose object is to make ns holy and happy for 
ever, why should we not make haste to learn the 
lessons He has given us? 

When Jesus, this great Teacher, came unto His 
own (the Jewish people), they received Him not; 
they treated Him as they had treated those He 
had sent before Him. Matthew 21: 38, 39. Shall 
H.e be treated by us in this way ? Oh, let us receive 
His words, that we, like those who then received 
Him, may become the sons of God. 

Jesus has given us the Bible, which contains 
the words He spoke,— words which are spirit and 
life to those who believe and receive them. He 
said, “ Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in 
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” 
Matthew 11:29. 

Only in Jesus is there rest. He knew how to 
rest in the Father, and He would teach us to do the 
same. Let us sit at His feet, receiving His words, 
be baptized with His Spirit, and from this prepara¬ 
tory school in which we are now, graduate at last 
into that other and greater school, where, through¬ 
out eternity, we shall, while rejoicing in redeem¬ 
ing love and immortality, which we will receive 
through Him, learn more of the “ depth of the 
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” 





out the plan of salvation for the Son of God to 
come to this earth and die that lost man might he 
redeemed. In God’s own good time, therefore, 
Christ left His home in heaven, and the power 
and glory He had with His Father “before the 
world was” (John 17: 5), to accomplish this pur¬ 
pose. To the world He appeared simply as a 
babe bom in a manger in Bethlehem. He grew 
to manhood in the little town of Nazareth, giving 
no positive sign that He was the divine Son of 
God. He was recognized as a humble carpenter, 
working with His earthly father, Joseph. 

Even when Jesus began His public ministry, 
accompanied as that was by mighty miracles, few 
believed in Him. In their blindness the people 
could not see in Him and His w~ork the u arm of the 
Lord.” Their unbelief had been foretold by the 
prophet: “ Who hath believed our report ? and to 
whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” Isaiah 
53 

[45] 














4 6 


THE COMING KING. 


The words, “ He was despised and rejected of 
men ; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” 
were spoken many years before the advent of the 
Saviour, and they were literally ful¬ 
filled in His life among men. “ He 
was in the world, and the world was 
made by Him, and the world knew 
Him not.” John i : io. His mis¬ 
sion to this earth was twofold :— 
First , He came to redeem man. 
To redeem is to purchase back that 
which has been lost. By the sacri¬ 
fice of Himself, He purchased back 
sinners, in order to free them from 
the terrible consequences of sin. By 
His death He secured life for all 
who would receive Him. 

Secondly , He came to be an exam¬ 
ple. He lived just such a life as 
man must live, so that He might be 
a perfect guide to all who would 
follow Him. In order to meet man 
in his fallen condition, He had to go 
to the lowest depths of poverty, temp¬ 
tation, sorrow, and suffering. Every 
experience of man was met in the 
life of our Saviour. Of his pov¬ 
erty it is written : “ The foxes have holes, and the 
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man 
hath not where to lay His head.” Matthew 8 : 20. 
The very poorest, even, have some place they call 
home, but our Lord was a homeless wanderer. 



•v 

\^k 

vMT< 

r\«!$ 



THE MAN OF SORROWS. 


47’ 




Of the temptations Jesus passed through in His 
human nature, and of His care for the tempted 
we read: “For we have not an High Priest 
which can not he touched with the feeling of our 
infirmities ; but was in all points tempted like 
as we are, yet without sin. Let us there¬ 
fore come boldly unto the throne of grace, 
that we may obtain mercy, and 
find grace to help in time of 
need.” Hebrews 4:15, 16. 

In the wilderness Christ 
was especially tempted 
on appetite and ambi¬ 
tion. Our first parents 
failed on the point of 
appetite, and Christ won 
the victory where they 
had failed. 

On the pinnacle 
of the temple, He 
was tempted to presume on 
His Father’s care and mer¬ 
cy. The taunts of the enemy, insinua¬ 
ting disbelief of Christ’s sonship to God, were hard 
for His human nature to bear, but He took no step 
outside of the boundaries of His heavenly mission 
to earth. Had He yielded, the plan of salvation 
would have been a failure. 

On the mount, the tempter sought to lead the 
Saviour to believe that He could redeem man, in 
an easier way than by the life of suffering He was 



Temptation in 


the Wilderness. 


4 




4 8 


THE COMING KING. 




'Get thee Hence t ” 
Temptation on the Mountain, 


just entering upon. If He 
would only bow down and 
acknowledge Satan as tbe 
rightful owner and ruler 
of the world, the evil one 
promised to abdicate, and 
Christ could take posses¬ 
sion at once. At such a 
suggestion the Saviour 
turned to him in indigna¬ 
tion, and gave the com¬ 
mand which compelled the 
enemy to depart. 

Of the inner life of Christ, 

Temptation # ; 

on the the prophet said, He was “ a 
Pmnacie. man 0 £ sorrows.” To us life 

brings more happiness than sorrow; more 
joy than grief. But the sorrows of a sinful 
world pressed so heavily upon 
the heart of Christ that He was 
known as “ the sorrowful man.” 

Of His sufferings we read, 
u He was wounded for our trans¬ 
gressions, He was bruised for our 




















THE MAN OF SORROWS. 


49 


iniquities : tlie chastisement of our peace was upon 
Him ; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 
53:5. His life was one of privation, and often 
of suffering. His experience in the wilderness, 
at Gethsemane, and in His trial and crucifixion, 
testify to the truthfulness of this statement. No 
martyr’s suffering in the torture chamber can com¬ 
pare with the keen anguish Christ suffered in both 
mind and body. He went to the limit of human 
suffering. 

During His life Jesus met every form of temp¬ 
tation, every experience that can come to man, for a 
twofold purpose:— 

First , “ For in that He Himself hath suffered 
being tempted, He is able to succor them that are 
tempted.” Hebrews 2:18. To “succor,” is to 
give comfort and help when one is in trouble. 
This is just what the Lord Jesus does for those 
who are distressed by the presence of sin. He 
speaks peace to the troubled spirit, and says to 
the weary, anxious one, “ Come unto Me,” I will 
give you rest. 

Secondly , that whenever we are in deep trial 
and temptation, we may remember that our Saviour 
passed through the same, and has promised to 
“ make a way to escape ” for us in every instance. 
If we will only let Him, He will bring us in tri¬ 
umph through every temptation. More than this, 
though He has passed through all these trying 
experiences, yet, for our salvation, He will, with 
us, pass through them again, and as the Apostle 


50 


THE COMING KING. 


Paul puts it, make us “in all these things more 
than conquerors through Him that loved us.” 
In view of such great deliverance is it any won¬ 
der that the Same apostle should triumphantly 
exclaim, “ Thanks be unto God for His UNSPEAK¬ 
ABLE Gift ! ” 

Christ was also a “ man of sorrows ” on the 
earth, because He was daily among those who were 
suffering from the plague of sin. u In all their 
afflictions He was afflicted.” These consoling 
words of the prophet point especially to the work 
of Christ. When any mourned the loss of dear 
friends, He sympathized with them. John n: 
33-36. When they rebelled against Him, He was 
sorely grieved. Mark 3:5. When they refused 
to hear His words of warning, He wept over 
them. Luke 19:41. 

When, in the garden of Gethsemane, He was 
preparing to meet death on the cross, He endured 
such agony that “ His sweat was as it were great 
drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 
22 : 44. When brought before Pilate, a legal trial 
was denied Him, and men were hired to testify 
falsely against Him. Matthew 26 : 59-61. When 
hanging on the cross, the weight of the sins of the 
world, which He bore for guilty man, was so great 
that He felt forsaken of His Father, and cried out 
in the deepest agony, “ My God, My God, why 
hast Thou forsaken Me? ” Matthew 27:46. 

All this was borne by the Lord, not only to 
show how much He loved the fallen race, but that 





THE MAN OF SORROWS. 


51 


He might bestow on all who would receive Him 
the fellowship with Him in suffering, and give 
them His own consolation and glory. To receive 
the Lord and follow Him is to pass through similar 
experiences of trial. u The servant is not greater 
than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they 
will also persecute yon; if they have kept My say¬ 
ings, they will keep yours also.” John 15 : 20. 

If, however, the world does all these things to 
the followers of Christ, the fact that He has borne 
it all before them can be their consolation, and He 
has shown them how to meet such trials in meek¬ 
ness. And in all these troubles, the assurance 
is given that by suffering with Him, they are pre¬ 
paring to reign with Him. 2 Timothy 2:12. All 
who thus follow Christ should rejoice, because they 
are partaking of His sufferings. 1 Peter 4:13. 

Christ endured these things; and as we are 
joint heirs with Him we, too, must share with Him 
in His sufferings, if we expect to share His glory. 
Romans 8:17. But we need not wait to the end 
for the consolation which comes from sharing with 
Christ in His sufferings. He has sent ns word 
that “ as the sufferings of Christ abound in ns, so 
our consolation also abonndeth by Christ.” 2 Cor¬ 
inthians 1:5. 

Just think of this promise: as suffering abounds, 
so consolation abounds. That is to say, we have 
enough consolation to balance all the suffering we 
are called upon to endure. To illustrate this, we 
may suppose ourselves to be like a pair of bal- 


52 


THE COMING KING. 


ances. On one side suffering is put in against ns. 
This would weigh that side entirely down if noth¬ 
ing were put in the other side; so the Lord bal¬ 
ances that with His consolation. We will therefore 
call the suffering as and the consolation so. As the 
suffering weighs down one side, so the consolation 
weighs down the other, and thus the scales are 
kept evenly balanced all the time. Thus we are 
fitted to dwell in His presence, and share His 
eternal glory. 














Christ the Way of Life. 

The picture on the other side of this page presents the plan of sal¬ 
vation, as connected with man, from the time when paradise was lost 
to our first parents until it will be finally restored to the faithful. 

The great central feature is, and of necessity must be, the cross of 
Christ. This is the only hope of a fallen race. The shadow of the 
cross reaches backward to the very gates of Eden, from which Adam 
and Eve are being driven on account of their sin. God’s displeasure 
is represented by the clouds which overhang them, and the vivid 
flashes of lightning. 

But they immediately step into the shadow of the cross. This is a 
figure of the work of Christ, whose offering for the sins of the world 
availed for them as well as for us. He was the “ Lamb slain from the 
foundation of the world.” Revelation 13 :8. He is the Seed of the 
woman that should bruise the serpent’s head. Genesis 3 :15. 

Abel offered a lamb as a sacrifice to God. By so doing he showed 
his faith in the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the 
world. Cain did not have faith in Christ, hence he did not bring a 
proper offering, and it was not accepted. This led to the hatred and 
final murder of his brother Abel. See 1 John 3:12. 

Coming closer to the cross, we see that priests were appointed to 
make sacrifices for the sins of the people. In the picture the penitent 
is confessing his sins on the head of the offering. The lamb was then 
put to death. This was a type of Christ, the real sacrifice, who would 
bear the sins of the world on the cross. 

The shadow ceases at the foot of the cross. Hence the offerings 
and ceremonies which pointed to Christ ceased when He was crucified. 
At the crucifixion “ the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the 
top to the bottom,” by the hand of God, indicating that the temple 
service was no longer of any use. See Matthew 27:51. The ten 
commandments were not done away at this time, for Christ said that 
He was “not come to destroy the lawfor the law was to continue 
“till heaven and earth pass.” Matthew 5 :17, 18. 

The decline of paganism is shown in the ruins of their temples as 
seen behind the cross. 

The gospel memorials of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are shown 
at the right. 

In the upper right-hand comer the artist has sketched a represen¬ 
tation of the New Jerusalem, which is finally to come down from God 
out of heaven to become the capital city of the earth made new. 
There, with Christ as our King and Elder Brother, we shall dwell for 
ever in a glorious land freed from every taint of sin and all the results 
of the curse. See Revelation 21. 


[53] 


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CHRIST THE WAY OF LIFE 














%% we like sbeep have gone astray; we have turned every 
H one to bis own way; and tbe lord batb laid on ibim 
tbe iniguity of us alL” lisaiab 53:6* “Too 
Ibis own self bare our sins in ibis own body on tbe 
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by 
whose stripes ye were bealed*” 1 jpeter 1 :24* 


When the Lord made man and placed him in 
the beautiful garden of Eden, He put upon him a 
test, to see whether he would obey God or not. It 
was a very simple one. The man was to eat freely 
of all of the trees of the garden except one, and that 
was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 
God did not give the fruit of this tree to man. He 
did not wish man to know evil, as that could come 
only by disobeying God. 

The Lord had stated plainly what the result of 
disobedience would be. “ But of the tree of the 
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of 
it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt 
surely die,” Genesis 2:17. 


[55l 





5 6 


THE COMING KING. 


Against the express command of God, our first 
parents, when tempted of Satan, allowed appetite to 
control them. They did the very thing that God 
had forbidden them to do, and therefore were driven 
from the garden. Thus cut off from the tree of 
life, they became subject to death ; and so all their 
descendants became, in them, a dying race. 
u Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered 
into the world, and death by sin; and so death 
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” 
Romans 5:12. 

Sin is rebellion against God; and as God can 
not allow rebellion to continue forever, either the 
sinner must be destroyed, or some plan had to be 
devised by which his sins could be removed from 
him. The plan of salvation met this need by pro¬ 
viding that Jesus, the Son of God, should die in 
place of the sinner. 

He who never sinned took the sinner’s place, 
received the punishment that man deserved, and 
henceforth stands ready to give the believing sin¬ 
ner His own righteousness. This does not save 
the sinner from dying the natural death which 
comes to all as a consequence of Adam’s sin, but it 
will save him who accepts of it from the “ second 
death,” which the unrepentant must die for his 
own sins. 

The plan of salvation provided that the sins 
of all the world should be laid upon Christ, that 
He should be treated as a sinner in order that re¬ 
pentant sinners might be made righteous through 



CHRIST OUR SACRIFICE. 


57 


Him and receive the reward of righteousness. For 
when we believe on Christ, and realize how great 
is the love that led Him to come to the earth to die 
for us, our hearts are changed, sin becomes hateful 
to us, we put it away, and the power of 
God working for ns, and through us, 
makes ns “new creatures in Christ 
Jesus.” 

As soon as this plan was devised, 
it provided a Saviour for man, and mer¬ 
cy was at once offered to him. Having 
given Himself thus for man in the 
very beginning, Christ is truly described 
in the Scriptures as the “Lamb slain 
from the foundation of the world.” 

Revelation 13:8. 

But it was not the design of God 
that Christ should at once give His life 
for man. There were few people in 
the world in the early ages. God de¬ 
sired to have many witnesses of the 
death of His Son. At that time, the 
terrible nature of sin had not been fully 
developed, nor could it be seen until 
men should become so wicked that they 
would not hesitate to take even the life of the 
Son of God. Thus their hatred and His willing¬ 
ness to die that they might live would be brought 
into sharp contrast; the fruit of sin and the fruit 
of love would be placed so close together that all 
could see the difference. The great central event 



of Calvary. 




58 THE COMING KING. 

in the history of this world was to be the cross 
of Calvary, upon which Christ was to die. 

For the purpose of keeping before men the 
blessed hope that Christ would come and die for 
the sinner, the Lord directed that offerings should 
be presented to Him. These offerings were to be 
such as would represent Christ,— living creatures 
that could be slain as He was to be slain. By such 
offerings the children of men could show their faith 
in the promised Saviour. 

“In the process of time” 
Cain and Abel brought offer¬ 
ings to God. “Cain brought 
of the fruit of the ground;” 
but Abel “brought of the first¬ 
lings of his flock.” God had 
respect to Abel’s offering, but 
not to that of Cain. Genesis 
4:3-7. The reason why God accepted Abel’s 
offering is thus told in the Scriptures: “By faith 
Abel offered unto God a more exellent sacrifice 
than Cain.” Hebrews 11:4. 

What was it that made Abel’s offering accept¬ 
able?— It was faith . That faith led him to offer, a 
lamb, which represented the Lamb of God. The 
blood of the lamb represented the blood of Christ to 
be shed on Calvary,— the innocent dying for the 
guilty; and that is the principle upon which the 
plan of salvation rests. 

During the long ages between Adam’s sin and 
the advent of Jesus Christ to the world, those who 



CHRIST OUR SACRIFICE. 


59 


believed in God offered sacrifices, in faitb, the same 
as Abel. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, wherever 
they went, offered sacrifices. These offerings were 
a most important part of the worship of God. 

When God, through Moses, took His people out 
of Egypt where they had been in bondage, He 
gave them again laws in regard to offerings. The 
lambs to be offered must be without blemish, so 
that they would properly represent the perfect 
Son of God. 

Under the Jewish ritual, if one had sinned, and 
felt that he needed forgiveness, he brought his 
offering to God. Placing his hand upon the head 
of the victim, he confessed his sins, which were 
thus in a figure transferred to the offering. The 
life of the victim was then taken instead of his 
own life, which he had forfeited through sin. 

When the fulness of time came, God sent His 
Son into the world to be the divine sacrifice for sin. 
The blood of animals could not really take away 
sin; it could only prefigure the spilt blood of 
Christ, which was to be shed for sin. When John 
the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him, he exclaimed, 
u Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the 
sin of the world.” John 1:29. 

Year after year through long ages men had 
looked over their flocks, and selected the choicest 
lambs for sacrifice; but now God’s Lamb had come. 
God had looked over His great flock, and only One 
could be found that could redeem the world; and 
though He was His only begotten Son, God gave 
Him freely for the sins of the world. 


6o 


THK COMING KING. 


Was Christ not a perfect sacrifice? No one has 
yet been able to find any fault in Him. Even Pi¬ 
late, who, to please the enemies of Jesus, gave or¬ 
ders for His crucifixion, was forced to say: “Ye 
have brought this man unto me, as one that per- 
verteth the people: and, behold, I, having exam¬ 
ined Him before you, have found no fault in this 
man touching those things whereof ye accuse Him : 
no, nor yet Herod.” Luke 23:14, 15. 

Then they led Jesus away to be crucified. Well 
had the prophet declared: “ He is brought as a 
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her 
shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.” 
Isaiah 53: 7. 

Sinner, behold your Sacrifice! See Him faint¬ 
ing underneath the weight of the cross, on the way 
to Calvary! That little hill near Jerusalem was to 
become the greatest altar of sacrifice the world ever 
saw, the place where love conquered hate, the place 
to which every sinner can look, and say, “ Behold 
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon 
us,” that He should give His Son to die that “we 
should be called the sons of God.” 1 John 3:1. 

Nailed to the cross, suffering the most terrible 
anguish, for six hours He hung suspended between 
the heavens and the earth; and yet He prayed for 
His executioners. Luke 23 :34. 

Though men were unfeeling, nature was not, 
and a mysterious darkness falling upon the world, 
with earthquake and rending rock, drew from even 
the heathen Roman officer who stood by,, the con- 


CHRIST OUR SACRIFICE. 



6l 


“ Truly tHis man 
as the Son of God.” 
Mark 15:39. The 
physical pain 
which Jesus en¬ 
dured, though 
great, was but 
a small part of 
His sufferings. 
To be rejected 
by His own peo¬ 
ple and to be de¬ 
livered by them to 
he Romans to be 
it to death, caused 
intense grief. But 
in Gethsemane. more than everything else 
it was the sense of the sins which He bore for all 
the world, which crushed Him and caused Him the 
bitterest anguish. 

It was the awful sense of sin which before, in 
the garden of Gethsemane, had caused Him to sweat 
as it were great drops of blood falling down to the 
ground (Luke 22 : 39-46); and now,— though nailed 
to the rugged wood, suffering great physical pain, 
deserted by His own disciples and entirely given 
up to His enemies, surrounded by a mob led on by 
the chief priests and rulers, who, while the film of 
death was gathering over His eyes, taunted and 
derided Him,— it was the sense of His Father’s 
displeasure that caused Him such overmastering 




62 


THE COMING KING. 


grief, and forced from His lips the despairing 
cry, “ My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken 
Me?” Matthew 27:46. To be forsaken of God, 
an experience which He must obtain in order to 
become a perfect Saviour for guilty sinners,— 
this broke His great, loving heart, and cut short 
His life. 

But the great sacrifice for sin was now made ; 
the plan of salvation is sure because now complete. 
Christ, the Son of God, had died for man, the just 
for the unjust, the divine for the human. That 
which the sacrificial offerings had long pointed 
forward to was now a reality. 

The offering of a lamb is now no longer re¬ 
quired; “ but we see Jesus, who Was made a little 
lower than the angels for the suffering of death, 
crowned with glory and honor: that He by the 
grace of God should taste death for every man.” 
Hebrews 2:9. A worthy sacrifice has been pro¬ 
vided by God Himself, and He will surely accept 
the offering which He has furnished. 

This sacrifice is always ready. Wherever we 
are, whenever we will, we can, by faith, bring this 
sacrifice before God in prayer, and plead the merits 
of the Son of God in our own behalf. The prom¬ 
ise is: “ Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, 
that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in 
the Son.” John J4:13. 

He is the Prince of Life, and His name, through 
faith in His name, can bring perfect soundness to 
every sinful soul. 


The Resurrection. 

I a/lfi tbe IResurrectfon and the life; be that bellmtb In 
Me, though be were dead, yet shall be live*” John 11: 25 . 

Seven Hundred years before the crucifixion, 
Isaiah testified that the Saviour would make His 
grave “ with the rich in His death.” Isaiah 53:9. 

To a make His grave with the wicked,” would 
have been to cast Him out without burial, with 
criminals. But they were foiled in this design 
by one of their own wealthy rulers, Joseph of 
Arimathea, who, in this darkest hour for the fol¬ 
lowers of Christ, stepped out boldly and took his 
stand for the crucified Saviour. 

Joseph had great influence with Pilate, and 
begged from him permission to take the body 
from the cross to give it an honorable burial. 
Pilate, who, in condemning the Lord, became con¬ 
science-stricken, readily gave him the desired per¬ 
mission. 


5 


[ 63 ] 










“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.” 








THE RESURRECTION. 


65 


Tender, loving hands took the Saviour from 
the cruel cross, and bore His body to the new 
tomb which had never before been used, and there 
He was laid, thus literally fulfilling the state¬ 
ment of the prophet. Although poor while in 
life, His body at death was laid in the new, rock- 
hewn tomb of the wealthy ruler of Israel. No 
greater honor could have been 
shown to the dead than was 



Jk 

accorded 

to Jesus by Joseph 
and Nicodemns. Of 

His rest in the tomb we read in the beauti¬ 
ful language of David in the Psalms: “ There¬ 
fore My heart is glad, and My glory rejoiceth; 
My flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou 
wilt not leave My soul in hell [the grave] ; nei¬ 
ther wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see cor¬ 
ruption.” Psalms 16: 9, 10. 

In the hour of death the faith of Christ clung 
to the promises of God. He laid down His life 



66 


THE COMING KING. 


in the full assurance that He would soon hear 
the summons, “Jesus, Thou Son of God, Thy Fa¬ 
ther calls Thee.” Solomon had said, “The 
heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain 
Him.” 2 Chronicles 2:6. Peter, speaking of 
His death, said: “It was not possible that He 
should be holden of it.” Acts 2:24. 

Early on the first day of the week a bright 
and powerful angel appeared at the tomb; the 
Roman guard fell as dead men before His glori¬ 
ous brightness; the stone was rolled away, and 
at the command of the heavenly messenger the 
bands of death were broken, and the Saviour came 
forth a mighty conqueror. Henceforth the resur¬ 
rection of the dead was a reality. 

It was to this resurrection scene that the apos¬ 
tles looked as the evidence of fulfillment of the 
promise of the future reward of all the faithful. 
Said Christ: “I am the resurrection and the life; 
He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, 
yet shall he live.” John 11:25. 

Christ died “that through dealh He might 
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, 
the devil.” Hebrews 2:14. Satan claimed all 
who had fallen in death as his subjects. The 
resurrection of Christ broke the power of death. 
From that time Satan knew that his hold on the 
human family would sometime be broken, and 
that his days were numbered. 

Paul looking forward to the general resurrec¬ 
tion, which is to take place at the second com- 


THE RESURRECTION. 


07 


ing of Christ, describes it in the following words: 
“ The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven 
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 
and with the trump of God; and the dead in 
Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive 
and remain shall be caught up together with 
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; 
and so shall we, ever he with the Lord. Where¬ 
fore comfort one another with these words.” 1 
Thessaloiiians 4 : 16-18. 

The future reward of the righteous is placed 
at the time of the resurrection, for the Saviour 
says: “ Thou shalt be recompensed at the resur¬ 
rection of the just.” Luke 14:14. 

Paul bases his entire hope of a future life on 
the resurrection of the dead. He says that if there 
is no resurrection, “ then they also which are 
fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” But this 
is not possible; “ for since by man came death, 
by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall 
all be made alive.” “ For the trumpet shall 
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, 
and we shall be changed.” Read 1 Corinthians 
15 : 12-22, 52. 

Isaiah looked beyond the grave when he tes¬ 
tified : “ Thy dead men shall live, together with 
my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, 
ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the 
dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the 
dead.” Isaiah 26 : 19. 


68 


THE COMING KING. 


Job was willing to rest bis future hope ou 
tbe resurrection. “If a man die, shall he live 
again? all the days of my appointed time will I 
wait till my change come. Thou shalt call, and 
I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to 
the work of Thine hands.” Job 14 : 14, 15. Where 
was Job to wait? Here is his own answer: “If I 
wait, the grave is mine house; I have made my 
bed in the darkness.” Job 17:13. 

He that conquered the grave will come to this 
earth again, and at that time “the dead shall 
hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that 
hear shall live.” John 5:25. Then “ the wilder¬ 
ness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; 
and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the 
rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice 
even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon 
shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel 
and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, 
and the excellency of our God.” Isaiah 35:1, 2. 



IBS) when Ibe bad spoken these things, while they 
beheld, Ibe was taken up; and a cloud received 
Ibim out of their sight*” nets 1: $♦ 


As the time drew near in which 
the Saviour knew that He must re¬ 
turn to the Father, whence He had come, He be¬ 
gan to reveal to His disciples something of what 
the future had in store for them. The prospect 
of meeting trials without the Saviour to share 
them brought sadness to the hearts of the disci¬ 
ples ; and lest they should become discouraged, 
He opened to them the thought that His go¬ 
ing away would be an advantage to them; “for,” 
said He, “if I go not away, the Comforter will 
not come unto you.” John 16:7. 

These words were full of mystery to the won¬ 
dering disciples. How would it be possible for 
another to do as much for them as He had 
done? Who, indeed, besides Jesus, could feed the 
hungry multitude from a few loaves and fishes, 
heal the sick, cure loathsome diseases, quiet the 


[69] 




















70 


THE COMING KING. 


angry waves of the sea, and raise the dead at 
will ? 

Had they not, too, been constantly instructed 
by His gracious words, and able, in His name, to 
cast put devils ? Why should they desire a 
change ? Should He leave them, as He declared 
He must, how would they then be able to do the 
wondrous things His presence had enabled them 
to accomplish? 

Notwithstanding all this, Jesus again assured 
them that it would be better for them to have 
Him go away. Should He remain with them 
personally, His presence would be confined to one 
locality at a time, and this would make it neces¬ 
sary for some who wished to meet Him to travel 
long distances. But the Holy Spirit, which was 
to come to the earth in His place, could be found 
by all at one time, and that without going to 
another part of the country. 

When on earth in person, Christ was seen 
by saint and sinner alike; but the Spirit, which 
He sent to represent Himself while He is away 
in heaven, is never seen, but may be known 
through faith in Christ. The unbelieving world 
does not know this heavenly visitant, because it 
is felt rather than seen. John 14:17. 

To those, however, who accept Christ by faith, 
the Spirit becomes an indwelling power, by which 
the possessor is enabled to overcome the worl<? 
and sinful flesh. 

As the disciples had been connected with 


THE LORD’S ASCENSION. 


7 1 



Heaven tHrougH attacliment to, and dwelling with, 
tHe personal CHrist, so now, since He Has gone 
to Heaven, He Has provided an indwelling pres¬ 
ence, by wliicH all His believers may Have ac¬ 
cess to Him where He is. So, then, whatever 

CHrist was to His dis¬ 
ciples by His personal 
presence, such He is 
now to every one who 
comes to Him by 
faith, through the 
Holy Spirit, which 
God bestows as freely 
as He has given His 
only begotten Son. 

Christ was about to 
leave His thirty-three 
years of earth life for 
the throne of glory, 
which He had once 
before enjoyed with 
the Father. But still 
He did not for a mo¬ 
ment forget those who 
were to remain behind, 
and in His place be¬ 
come the light of the world, finishing His work. 
Matthew 5 : 14-16 ; Hebrews 2:3; Acts 1 :8. 

He had before prayed that God might not 
take them out of the world, but rather that they 
might be kept from its evil. John 17:15. So 


Pointing Sinners to Christ. 






72 


THE COMING KING. 


on the eve of His leaving them, He gave the 
blessed promise: “ Lo, I am with you alway, 
even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28 : 20. 

Coming near to Bethany, the disciples gath¬ 
ered about the Saviour. As He looked in their 
faces, a peculiar light seemed to cover His coun¬ 
tenance : and as He stretched out His hands in 
the act of blessing them, He was taken up slowly 
from them. Gazing at Him in His ascent, the 
wondering disciples saw Him enter a cloud of 
bright glory, and He was lost to their sight. 

Lost in amazement their gaze was riveted, for 
a time, on the point where they had last seen 
their beloved Lord, when suddenly a voice was 
heard near them. Turning, they saw two shining 
beings, who brought them the comforting mes¬ 
sage: “This same Jesus, which is taken up from 
yon into heaven, shall so come in like manner as 
ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1 : 11. 

Christ had triumphed in His earthly work. He 
had come from heaven to earth to take man’s 
nature, and been born in Bethlehem’s lowly man¬ 
ger; He had been subject to His earthly parents; 
had worked by the side of Joseph at the carpen¬ 
ter’s trade ; had known weariness in His journey- 
ings; had prayed all night on the mountainside; 
had in pity fed the famishing multitudes; had 
healed the sick and raised the dead; had been 
rejected of men, scourged, and crucified; and had 
ascended in the form of a man to sit on the 
right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the 
heavens. Hebrews 8:1, 2. 



If two persons are involved in 


a difficulty, and can not agree, it is a common 
custom for some friend to act as a mediator or 
arbitrator between the two. In this capacity 
Jesus Christ acts between God and man. Man 
is estranged from God. In his sinful condition he 
is not reconciled to the government of God; for 
we read that the “carnal [natural] mind is en¬ 
mity against God: for it is not subject to the law 
of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7. 
It must be changed before it can be subject to 
God’s righteous government, and that can be done 
only by the power of God. Since the fall of man 
by sin, all men are carnal. Even the apostle 
Paul said, “ I am carnal, sold under sin.” Ro¬ 
mans 7:14. 

In order to save man it was necessary that a 
divine sacrifice should be made for the sins of 

[73] 











74 


THE COMING KING. 


the world. This was provided for by the death 
of Jesus Christ. But the death of Christ alone 
could not save man. Christ must rise from the 
dead, and then, in His divine and human na¬ 
ture blended, act as the Mediator between every 
repenting sinner and the Father, pleading in the 
sinner’s behalf the merits of His sacrifice. 

Before Christ came in the flesh, this office of 
mediatorship was represented by the priesthood, 
especially by the high priest of the Jewish nation. 
As the high priest was to bear upon his shoul¬ 
ders, graven in stone, the names of all the tribes 
of Israel, representing the people of God (Exodus 
28:9-12), so Christ takes upon Himself the task 
of bearing all His people, and bringing them into 
harmony with the government of God. ’ 

We should not forget that God, -so loving 
mankind that He gave His own Son to die in 
the sinner’s place, has no feeling of hatred to¬ 
ward the sinner. He is not a hard master, whose 
anger must be placated. He loves the sinner, 
and because of that love, He gave His Son to 
die for him, that the sinner might be separated 
from his sin, which, if not removed, must for 
ever separate him from God and happiness. 
Through Jesus Christ as mediator, God, though 
the author of all things, and the one who has 
been wronged by sin, takes the first step toward 
a reconciliation. 

So we read: “ All things are of God, who hath 
reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and 


CHRIST OUR MEDIATOR AND ADVOCATE. 75 

hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 
to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the 
world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses 
unto them; and hath committed unto us the word 
of reconciliation.” And Christ, having shown by 
His sacrifice that God still loves the sinner, now 
sends out His ministers, praying ns, praying all 
mankind, to be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 
5 : 17-20. 

Christ comes to ns as a friend and helper, as 
one who has influence and power with God. He 
brings to ns the terms by which, if we accept 
them, we may be restored to favor with God. 
These conditions are honorable to God and mer¬ 
ciful to ns. Since He has died for ns, the law 
of God will not be lowered by onr salvation. 
He can “ be just, and the justifier of him which 
believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3: 26. Christ, in 
answer to our faith, gives us His righteousness, 
which is just what the law of God demands, to 
cover all our sins. So we have His death for 
our death, and His life for our life. Accepting 
this gracious offer, sinners and aliens become 
children and saints of God. 

Christ is also our advocate. Hence we read: 
“ If any man sin, we have an advocate with the 
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2: 
1. An advocate is one who pleads the cause of 
another. Every being has a case at the bar of 
God. “ We must all appear before the judge¬ 
ment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive 


76 


THE COMING KING. 


the things done in his body, according to that 
he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” 2 
Corinthians 5:10. If we have Christ for our 
advocate, why should we fear? He is the only 
begotten of the Father; but it is as man that 
He represents ns and pleads for us. The medi¬ 
ator, the advocate, is the “ man Christ Jesus.” 
He was made like us. “ Wherefore in all things 
it behooved Him to be made like unto His 
brethren, that He might be a merciful and faith¬ 
ful high priest in things pertaining to God, to 
make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For 
in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, 
He is able to succor them that are tempted.” 
Hebrews 2517, 18. 

Behold the wonderful provisions of divine grace ! 
The Son of God dies as a sacrifice for our sins. 
He is also the mediator, pleading with us to ac¬ 
cept the gospel of salvation, which, at so great a 
price, He has made it possible for us to secure. 
With the sweat of Gethsemane upon His brow, 
with the blood of the sacrifice dripping from 
pierced hands, feet, and side, from suffering un¬ 
speakable, and with love unutterable, He appeals 
to us, saying, “ Come unto me, all ye that labor 
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 
Matthew 11:28. Then when we come to Him, 
He bears our case upon His heart; and when we 
repent, He pleads our case before the Father, and 
obtains for us a pardon. 



taLLRrtAGAI! 


of Galilee, wby stand ye 
dazing up into beaven ? this same 
Jesus, wbicb is tahen up from you 
into beaven, shall so come in like 
manner as ye have seen Ibim go into 
beaven*” acts 1:11* 


At the close of the Passover Supper, just 
before entering upon His night of agony in Geth- 
semane, the Saviour told His disciples that He 
was soon going away from them. This made them 
very sorrowful, but the Master comforted them 
with the words, “ I will come again.” 

He told them of a glorious city that was be¬ 
ing prepared for the faithful. Already many 
beautiful mansions had been built in it, and when 
He should go back to heaven, He would prepare 
other mansions for them, and for all the right¬ 
eous who should live after them. 

Abraham looked forward to the time when he 
would have a home in this city, for Paul wrote 
of him: “ for he looked for a city which hath 
foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” 
Hebrews 11:10. The apostle-prophet John gives 
a full description of this city in the twenty-first 
chapter of Revelation. 

Many of the prophets of the Old Testament 

[77] 













78 


THE COMING KING. 


; foretold the second coming of Christ to this 
| earth. Even before the flood this was un¬ 
derstood ; for we read that “Enoch also, the 
seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, 
saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten 
thousands of His saints.” Jude 14. 

The prophet Zechariah testifies of the 
same event: “ And the Lord my God shall 
come, and all the saints with Thee.” Zech- 
: ariah 14:5. And the Saviour tells us that 
“ the Son of man shall come in His glory, 
and all the holy angels with Him.” Mat- 
1 thew 25:31. 

By this we see that the saints spoken 
1 of by Jude and Zechariah refer to .the 
1 hosts of angels that will come with Him 
1 at His second advent. The Saviour says 
that all the holy angels will come with 
‘ Him. Heaven will be emptied; for all 
- ^ its glorious inhabitants will join their Lord 
on this wonderful journey from heaven to earth. 

Job based his hope on the second coming of 
Christ. Hear what he says: “For I know that 
my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at 
the latter day upon the earth: and though after 
my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my 
flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for my¬ 
self, and mine eyes shall behold Him, and not 
another.” Job 19:25-27. 

Job was not alone in this consolation. David, 
the sweet singer of Israel, contemplating the fu- 


HE WILL COME AGAIN. 


79 


ture, said: “ Let the heavens rejoice, and let the 
earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness 
thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is 
therein: then shall all the trees of the wood re¬ 
joice before the Lord: for He cometh, for He com- 
eth to judge the earth: He shall judge the world 
with righteousness, and the people with His 
truth.” Psalms 96:11-13. 

With burning eloquence, from lips touched 
with hallowed fire from heaven, the gospel-prophet 
exclaims: “ He will swallow up death in vic¬ 
tory ; and the Lord God will wipe away tears 
from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people 
shall He take away from off all the earth; for 
the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said 
in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited 
for Him, and He will save ns: this is the Lord; 
we have waited for Him, we will be glad and re¬ 
joice in His salvation.” Isaiah 25 :8, 9. 

Again, the beloved Daniel, inspired of God, 
referring to the same thing, said: “At that time 
shall Michael [Christ] stand up, the great Prince 
which standeth for the children of Thy people; 
. . . and at that time Thy people shall be de¬ 
livered, every one that shall be found written in 
the book. And many of them that sleep in the 
dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlast¬ 
ing life, and some to shame and everlasting 
contempt.” Daniel 12:1, 2. 

The apostle Paul testifies: “ And unto them 
that look for Him shall He appear the second 


6 


8o 


THE COMING KING. 


time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9 : 28. 
At His first advent, our Saviour bore the sins of 
the world in Gethsemane and on Calvary. At His 
second advent, He conies bearing no sin, but as the 
mighty and glorious King, to take all His faithful 
children to Himself forever. Matthew 25:31. Of 
this wonderful event our Lord Himself testifies: 
“ For the Son of man shall come in the glory 
of His Father with His angels; and then He 
shall reward every man according to his works.” 
Matthew 16:27. 

As the Saviour was taken up from the dis¬ 
ciples, two angels were sent to comfort them. 
They said: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye 
gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which 
is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come 
in like manner as ye have seen Him go into 
heaven.” Acts 1 : 11. 

The very same Jesus who had taught them, 
who had walked up and down with them through 
the cities of Israel, and whom John says they 
had seen and handled, is to come back to earth 
again. And for the benefit of those who desire 
to know how He will come, the angels said, He 
will “so come in like manner as ye have seen 
Him go into heaven.” He ascended bodily, and 
they saw Him as He went, and “ a cloud received 
Him out of their sight.” He will come back in 
the same manner. John says of the event: “Be¬ 
hold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall 
see Him.” Revelation 1 : 7. 


HE WILL COME AGAIN. 


8l 


When He ascended He was visible until a 
cloud of glory received Him out of their sight. 
When He returns, the cloud will be first seen; 
but as He nears the earth, the glorious person 
of the world’s Redeemer will be plainly visible to 
all beholders, for “every eye shall see Him.” 
Revelation i: 7. 

Many theories are taught in regard to the 
second advent of onr Lord. Some now claim that 
this event occurs at conversion. Others believe 
that Christ comes at the death of every saint. 
But we read that “ as the lightning cometh out 
of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so 
shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” 
Matthew 24:27. 

Such a description cannot be applied to the 
calm death of the Christian, nor yet to the quiet 
working of the Holy Spirit at conversion. When 
ohr Lord comes in the clouds of heaven no one 
will question whether He is really our Saviour. 
For the lightning that flashes across the sky in 
the east cannot be hidden from the dwellers in 
the west. So the presence of Christ will be seen 
to earth’s remotest bounds. It must be so; for 
He brings with Him all the glory of the universe; 
for He comes “in His own glory, and in His 
Father’s, and of the holy angels.” Luke 9: 26. 



£%% us, when shall these things he? and what shall 
be the sip of ftby coming, and of the end of the 
world ? ” Matthew 24: 3. 

In the Saviour’s teachings He had 
instructed His disciples in regard to 
His second advent to the world. But 
they had no idea when it would take place. They 
expected Him to set up a temporal kingdom on 
earth, and probably connected this event with 
His second coming. 

As Jesus was departing from the temple, af¬ 
ter His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, His 
disciples directed His attention to its glory. It 
was the pride of the Jewish nation, and they sup¬ 
posed it would stand forever. It was a wonderful 
building, and its construction had required the 
labor of thousands of men for forty years. Jo¬ 
sephus, in his description of it, said that some of 
the stones were about thirty-eight feet long, 
eighteen feet wide, and twelve feet high. 

[82] 








WHEN SHALE THESE THINGS BE? 83 

What must have been the as¬ 
tonishment of the disciples as 
Jesus turned to them sorrowfully, 
and said: “See ye not all these 
things? verily I say unto you, 

There shall not be left here one 
stone upon another, that shall 
not be thrown down.” Mat¬ 
thew 24: 2. 

All the traditions 
the disciples had held, 
and their own beliefs, 
seemed slipping 
away from them. 

They remem¬ 
bered the in¬ 
structions of 
their Lord in regard 
to His second com¬ 
ing, the end of world, and 

the setting up of His kingdom; and now He 
had added to this the plain statement that Je¬ 
rusalem and the temple would be utterly de¬ 
stroyed. What could it mean? Had they misun¬ 
derstood Him? 

Silently they walked by His side to the Mount 
of Olives, and when He had seated Himself, they 
came to Him with questions the answer to which 
would forever settle the matter. “When shall 
these things be? and what shall be the sign of 
Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” 









8 4 


THE COMING KING. 


Were their questions out of place? Did the 
Saviour rebuke them for unseemly curiosity? — 
No! He knew that their motives in asking were 
sincere, and He proceeded to carefully instruct 
them in regard to the events referred to in their 
questions. 

The Saviour was always ready to give full 
and careful explanation and instruction to all 
who really desired to understand the truths 
taught by Him. To be sure,. He often spoke in 
parables, many of which were not readily under¬ 
stood by the hearers, but to all who were inter¬ 
ested sufficiently to ask for an explanation, He 
made His meaning simple and plain. Hence to 
the enquiring disciples the Saviour gave, as re¬ 
corded in Matthew 24, the prophecy in regard to 
the events that were to take place on this earth. 

In these words of instruction are embodied 
the full and complete answer to their questions. 
Neither was it given for the benefit of these dis¬ 
ciples alone. It was given to the disciples that 
it might be handed down by them to all who 
would believe on the Saviour in all ages until 
He should finally come and take the faithful to 
Himself. It applies to our time, and with much 
greater force as we are nearing the accomplish¬ 
ment of all the events recorded in this wonderful 
lesson. 

It is asserted by some, however, that the sec¬ 
ond advent is a subject with which we have noth¬ 
ing to do. That all knowledge of this great 


WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS BE? 85 

event is a secret with the Almighty; that our Lord 
will come as a thief in the night; that He may 
come in one year, or His coming may be a thou¬ 
sand years in the future. If this is the case, 
then why did the Saviour take pains to make 
such definite statements in regard to it? Why 
did He give such positive way-marks to show 
when this great event was near, “ even at the 
door?” 

If we can know nothing in regard to this im¬ 
portant event, which so intimately concerns us, 
we are forced to accept one of two conclusions: 
Either the Saviour undertook to make an expla¬ 
nation to the disciples which He should not 
have entered into, or, trying to explain the matter, 
He failed to make it so clear that it can be un¬ 
derstood. Of course we cannot admit either one 
of these propositions, and hence are forced to be¬ 
lieve that the Saviour considers that this subject 
is important, and intends that we shall under¬ 
stand it. 

The Lord has given us the most minute de¬ 
scription of the events to transpire on this earth, 
and has given also, accurate signs to show when 
His coming is near, “ even at the door.” And 
although we may not know the day and the hour, 
yet our information is so definite that we may 
“see the day approaching,” and be prepared to 
meet our King, at His appearing, with joy and 
not with grief. 

Our Lord knew that the truths in regard to 


86 


THE COMING KING. 


His second coming would be misunderstood. It 
is the one subject above all others which the en¬ 
emy of all souls desires shall not be proclaimed 
to the world. The knell of his doom is perceived 
ringing through every promise of the coming of 
our Lord. 

More than this, there is 
no subject that so turns the 
hearts of men to God, and con¬ 
verts souls to Christ, as the 
true proclamation of Bible 
truth in regard to the soon 
coming Saviour. Of course 
Satan will do all in his -power 
to blind the- eyes 
men to this truth, 
divert their 
from the events 
tering around it. 

Christ knew 
errors would abc 
in regard to this sub¬ 
ject and prefaces His 
instruction with the 
warning, “ Take heed 
that no man deceive you.” Matthew 24 : 4. And 
in our study of this subject, let us be sure that 
our ears are open to receive the teachings of 
God’s word, and that we are not blinded by any 
ideas we may have received, or by any theory we 
may have held in regard to it. 



If the jar is full, you can pour nothing into it 
until the jar is first emptied. If our hearts are 
filled with our own ideas, and what we have 
learned from others, how can God s truth come in 
unless we empty our hearts completely, and ask 
Him to fill us with His word? 







WHEN SHALE THESE THINGS BE? 87 

The question of the disciples was evidently 
twofold; first , When will the destruction of Jeru¬ 
salem take place? and, secondly , What shall be 
the sign of the second coming of Christ, and of 
the end of the world ? The Saviour’s answer, 
found in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, 
may be divided into three parts:— 

The first fourteen verses apply to the period 
from the time of the apostles to the end of the 
world. 

Then follows a recapitulation beginning with 
the destruction of Jerusalem, and giving the po¬ 
sition of the church in history. 

From verse twenty-nine, onward, are given the 
visible signs which are to mark the near approach, 
of the second advent. 



NAZARETH. 








1b£1R£ sbaU not be left here one 
stone upon another tbat shall 
he thrown down/' 

24 : 2 * 


In the twenty-fourth 
chapter of Matthew the 
apostle gives our Saviour’s account of a series of 
events to transpire from the days of the apostles 
on through to the end of time. To the student 
of God’s word these scenes are to be way-marks 
to show where we stand in this world’s history, 
and we should give them careful consideration. 

The first event predicted is the destruction of 
Jerusalem and the temple. That His followers 
may be prepared to meet this dire calamity, the 
Saviour gave them the following warning:— 

“ When ye therefore shall see the abomination 
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet 
[see Daniel 9:26, 27], stand in the holy place, 
(whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them 
which be in J udea flee into the mountains: let 
him which is on the housetop not come down to 
[ 88 ] 








DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 


89 


take anything out of his house: neither let him 
which is in the field return back to take his 
clothes.” Matthew 24 : 15-18. 

Dr. Adam Clarke says: “ This ‘ abomination 
of desolation ’ St. Luke refers to is the Roman 
army ; and this abomination standing 1 in the holy 
place’ is the Roman army besieging Jeru¬ 
salem. This, our Lord says, is what was 
spoken of by Daniel the prophet in the 
ninth and eleventh chapters of his proph¬ 
ecy ; and so let every one who reads these 
prophecies understand them.” 

Luke in his account of this same 
prophecy says: “When ye shall see 
Jerusalem compassed with armies, then 
know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 
Then let them which are in Judea flee 
to the mountains; and let them which 
are in the midst of it depart out; and let 
not them that are in the countries enter 
thereinto.” Luke 21:20,21. 

This latter text shows conclusively 
‘ abomination of desolation ” was the 
armies of an enemy that would surround the 
city, besiege it, and finally destroy it. 

Josephus says: “The Romans brought their 
ensigns into the temple, and placed them over 
against the eastern gate, and sacrificed to them 
there.” (“ Wars,” b. vz. chap . 6 .) No greater 
“ abomination ” than this could come to the Jew¬ 
ish temple; and this, together with the laying 



that the 







O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM 























DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 91 

waste of Jerusalem, stamps the Roman army as 
the “ abomination of desolation ” foretold by the 
prophet Daniel, and referred to by Christ. 

The Saviour says, “ Then let them which be 
in Judea flee into the mountains.” But how can 
the Christians escape after the city is encom¬ 
passed with armies ? At the first glance this would 
seem impossible, but the Lord made no mistake. 

Dr. Adam Clarke says: “In the twelfth year 
of Nero, Cestius Gallus, the president of Syria, 
came against Jerusalem with a powerful army.” 
Josephus says of him: “He might have assaulted 
and taken the city, and thereby put an end to 
the war; but without any just reason, and con¬ 
trary to the expectation of all, he raised the siege 
and departed.” — “ Wars” b. v. chap. 12. 

The historians Eusebius and Epiphanius tell 
us that immediately after the departure of the ar¬ 
mies of Cestius Gallus, and while Vespasian was 
approaching with his army, all who believed in 
Christ left Jerusalem, and fled to Pella and other 
places beyond the river Jordan. 

Dr. Adam Clarke says: “It is very remark¬ 
able that not a single Christian perished in the de¬ 
struction of Jerusalem, though there were many 
there when Cestius Gallus invested the city.” 

The Saviour further says: “ Let him which 
is on the housetop not come down to take any¬ 
thing out of his house: neither let him which is 
in the field return back to take his clothes.” 
Matthew 24:17, 18. Like Lot in leaving Sodom, 


92 


THE COMING KING. 


their flight must he hurried, or it would he too 
late, and they would he overwhelmed in the de¬ 
struction coming upon the doomed city. 

Dr. Adam Clarke says: “In the Eastern 
walled cities, their fiat-roofed houses usually 
formed continuous terraces from one 
end of the city to the other; which 
terraces terminated at the gates.” 

It was customary to walk and sleep 
on these housetops. When the time 
for escape came, the 
need of haste 
was so great 
that if any 
were on the 
housetop or 
in the field, 
they must not 
take time to 
secure any¬ 
thing from 
their houses, 
but must flee 
immediately to a place of safety. “ But pray ye 
that your flight be not in the winter, neither on 
the Sabbath day.” Matthew 24:20. This in¬ 
struction was given forty years before the Ro¬ 
mans overran Judea. In view of the coming de¬ 
solation, the followers of Christ were to pray 
earnestly for two great mercies:— 

1. That they be not compelled to flee in the 



Let him which is on 
the Housetop not 
Gome Dou/n.” 


Josephus says that after Cestius 
Gallus had raised the siege of Jeru¬ 
salem and withdrawn his army, that 
“ many of the principal Jewish peo¬ 
ple forsook the city as men do a 
sinking ship.” 










DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 93 

winter, for the cold of that season would bring 
great suffering to the refugees from Judea. 

2. That God would so overrule events that 
they would not be compelled to flee on the Sab¬ 
bath, or be overtaken in the destruction which 
was to follow. 

For forty years this prayer was to go up to 
God. It shows the regard Christ had for the Sab¬ 
bath. In this we find a fitting rebuke for the 
little regard that is paid to this institution,— an 
institution which had its birth at creation, and 
which was given to commemorate that event. 

Soon after the flight of the Christians, the 
army of Vespasian, under Titus, entered Judea, 
and besieged Jerusalem, until the city was de¬ 
stroyed and the temple burned with fire. 

Terrible distress and calamity came to the 
Jews as the result of this siege. Moses foretold 
this one thousand five hundred years before. He 
said:— 

“The Lord shall bring a nation against thee 
from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as 
the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt 
not understand.” “ And he shall besiege thee 
in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls 
come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all 
thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy 
gates throughout all thy land, which the Lord 
thy God hath given thee. And' thou shalt eat 
the fruit of thine own body, the flesh cf thy sons 
and of thy daughters, which the Lord thy God- 


94 


THE COMING KING. 


hath given thee, in the siege, and in the strait- 
ness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee.” 
Deuteronomy 28:49, 52, 53. 

The Roman ensign was an eagle, and the Ro¬ 
mans spoke the Latin language, which the Jews 
did not understand, thus fulfilling the first part 
of the above prophecy to the letter. To the other 
horrors of war was added that of famine. Josephus 



says that mothers would snatch the food from 
their children in their distress, and that many 
houses were found full of women and children 
who had died of starvation. Human flesh was 
sometimes eaten; and the same author tells of a 
lady of rank who killed, roasted, and ate her own 
son, thus fulfilling the latter part of the prophecy 
of Moses. 






DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 


95 


Christ had said: “The days shall come upon 
thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about 
thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in 
on every side.” “And they shall fall by the 
edge of the sword, and shall be led away cap¬ 
tive into all nations.” Luke 19:43; 21:24. 

The siege of Jerusalem was protracted for 
months. The inhabitants were butchered without 
regard to age or sex. Josephus states that eleven 
hundred thousand perished at this time, and that 
ninety-seven thousand were carried away captive. 
How accurately this fulfills the Saviour’s proph¬ 
ecy, quoted from Luke 21: 24. 

We also read that “Jerusalem shall be trod¬ 
den down of the Gentiles, until the times of the 
Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke 21: 24. This will 
be when the work of the gospel is finished. 


7 



REAT 



tben shall he great tribulation, 
sucb as was not since the begin* 
ning of tbe world to this time, no, 
nor ever shall be. And except those daps 
should be shortened, there should no tlesb be 
saved: but for tbe elect’s sake those daps 
shall be shortened.” fltettbew 24:21,22. 


Following the destruction of 
Jerusalem, the el£ct were to pass through a pe¬ 
riod of terrible persecution. The elect are the 
true followers of Christ. For their sake the days 
of tribulation were to be shortened, for if they 
were not shortened, the elect would all be de¬ 
stroyed. 

This cannot refer to the destruction of Jeru¬ 
salem ; for none of the elect were in that city 
at its fall. All of Christ’s followers had left the 
city and fled “ into the mountains,” as the Sav¬ 
iour had told them to do. (Verse 16). The Jews 
had utterly rejected Christ, and so were no longer 
the elect of God. 

This can not refer to the overthrow of the 
single city of Jerusalem, or the country of Judea; 
for this tribulation was to be more terrible than 
any that had been experienced “ since the begin- 
[96] 

















GREAT TRIBULATION. 


97 


ning of tlie world,” and nothing so severe would 
ever come again. More severe calamities had over¬ 
taken cities and countries before the overthrow 
of Jerusalem, others more terrible have occured 
since, and prophecy tells of greater desolations 
for the future. 

Therefore this “ great tribulation ” can refer 
only to a period of terrible persecution to come 
upon the true church of God. 

In Daniel 7:21 a power is mentioned that 
“ made war with the saints, and prevailed against 
them.” In verse 25 the prophet says that this 
same power shall “ wear out the saints of the 
Most High,” and that “they shall be given into 
his hand until a time and 

times and the dividing of A Time, 360 days, 

time.” Times, 720 

In Daniel 4:16, 25, a Half a Time, 180 
“ time ” is spoken of as a 1260 

year. Josephus records that 

the “ seven times ” that passed over Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar, when he was driven from men, were 
seven years — a year for a “time.” A Jewish 
year was 360 days. So the period as recorded in 
Daniel 7:25, when footed up, gives us 1260 days, 
as shown by the accompanying sum in addition. 

All commentators agree that these “days” 
represented prophetic time — a day for a year. 
Hence there were to be 1260 years in which the 
true church was to be given into the hands of a 
persecuting power. 


9 8 


THE COMING KING. 


John, the apostle-prophet, speaking of the 
church as a woman, and of the persecuting power 
as a dragon and a serpent, says: “When the 
dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he 
persecuted the woman which brought forth the 
man child. And to the woman were given two 
wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into 
the wilderness, into her place, where she is nour¬ 
ished for a time, and times, and half a time, 
c rom the face of the serpent.” Revelation 12: 
13, *4- 

“ And the woman fled into the wilderness, 
where she hath a place prepared of God, that 
they should feed her there a thousand two hun¬ 
dred and threescore days.” Verse 6. In figures, 
this would read 1260 prophetic days, or literally, 
years. It will be seen that the time corresponds 
in all the foregoing quotations. Thus the length 
of this period of persecution is shown to be 1260 
years by both Daniel and John. 

The care that was taken of the “ woman ” in 
the wilderness represents the care that God has 
for His church, even though afflicted and trod¬ 
den under foot by this terrible power. 

There has been but one persecuting power 
since the time of Christ which has fulfilled all 
the conditions of these prophecies. In A. d. 538 
Catholic Rome became a persecuting power. The 
bishop, or pope, of Rome was then made absolute 
head of all the churches, and was given power 
to correct heretics. 


GREAT TRIBULATION. 


99 


Then followed what is aptly called the “ Dark 
Ages.” The Roman Catholic Church was a cor¬ 
ruption of the true church of Jesus Christ. Their 
religion was a compromise between Christianity 
and paganism. The Christians who would not 
accept this false religion were branded as heretics, 
and were given over to the tormentors. 

Paul’s description of the persecutions of the 
ancient church, as given in the eleventh chapter 
of Hebrews, applies accurately to the papal per¬ 
secutions of the Christian Church, only aggrava¬ 
ted many fold. He says: “ And others had trial 
of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover 
of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, 
they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain 
with the sword: they wandered about in sheep¬ 
skins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tor¬ 
mented.” Hebrews 11:36, 37. 

Did this power “wear out the saints of the 
Most High,” as Daniel declared it would do? 
Scott’s “Church History” says: “No computa¬ 
tion can reach the numbers who have been put 
to death, in different ways, on account of 
their maintaining the profession of the gospel, 
and opposing the corruption of the Church of 
Rome. A million poor Waldenses perished in 
France; nine hundred thousand orthodox Chris¬ 
tians were slain in less than thirty years after 
the institution of the order of the Jesuits. 

“The Duke of Alva boasted of having put 
to death, in the Netherlands, thirty six thousand 

L OF C* 


IOO 


THE COMING KING. 


by the hand of the common executioner during 
the space of a few years. The Inquisition de¬ 
stroyed by various tortures one hundred and fifty 
thousand within thirty years. 

These are a few specimens, Papal powei 

and but a few, of those which ^de P Ppp*°the ] a^dTsV 
history has recorded. But the head of all the [ " 

total amount will never be rector of heretics, j 


known till the earth shall dis¬ 
close her blood, and no more cover her slain.” 

Pagan Rome put to death over three 
million Christians during the first five hun¬ 
dred years after Christ. Catholic Rome, 
which professed to accept Christ, but was 
heathen in practice, put to death about fifty 
million Christians during the 1260 years 
that followed. When a false Christian church 
obtains temporal power, it is tenfold worse 
in the cruelty of its persecutions 
than the worst of heathen powers. 

As before stated, papal Rome 
became a persecuting power A. d. 

538. It was to continue 1260 
years. This brings us to 1798. 

If the periods as given by Daniel 
and John are correct, some serious 
calamity to come upon papal Rome 
was to be looked for at that time. 

John, in speaking of this power, says he saw 
it “ wounded to death.” Revelation 13:3. His¬ 
tory records that a French general, Berthier, en- 


Days \ 
shortened. / 


Pope taken I 
prisoner, j 


Perse¬ 

cution 

closed 


A. D. 
1773 


Papal power 
ceased 
A. D. 1798. 





GREAT TRIBULATION. 


IOI 


tered Rome in 1798, and took the Pope prisoner, 
and that he died in exile at Valence, France, the 
following year. Thus do we see the word of God 
accurately fulfilled. 

Christ says: “ But for the elect’s sake those 
days [the 1260 years of papal persecution] shall be 
shortened.” Matthew 24:22. Roman Catholic 
persecution practically ceased about 1773, or 
twenty-five years before the power of the papacy 
was fully broken. This was brought about by 
the Reformation which gave the Bible and the 
gospel to the people. Through the influence of 
the preaching and writings of Luther and the 
other Reformers, kings, princes, and men of in¬ 
fluence and power took their stand for the Bible. 
Ignorance, superstition, and cruelty fled before the 
clear light of God’s word, and the Inquisition went 
with them. 

But we cannot leave Catholicism without call¬ 
ing attention to another feature of the symbol 
given in Revelation 13:3. “And his deadly 
wound was healed.” Napoleon wished to be 
crowned emperor of France, and this had to be 
done by a pope. So an election was held, and a 
new pope chosen March 14, 1800, and thus the 
papacy was re-established, but without its for¬ 
mer power. 

During the one hundred years that have 
passed since that time, Catholicism has worked 
and waited, intrigued and plotted, until it has 
become an important factor in many of the gov- 


102 


THE COMING KING. 


ernments of the world, and her intention is to 
seize the reins of government and again rule 
the nations. The policy of Rome never changes; 
she only waits until her grasp is sufficiently 
strong, and then she will re-enact, so far as pos¬ 
sible, the scenes of the centuries"of the past. 

But the fiat has gone forth, and when this 
power has seemingly reached the end sought, 
“ the judgment shall sit, and they shall take 
away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it 
unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, 
and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole 
heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints 
of the Most High, whose kingdom is an ever¬ 
lasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve 
and obey Him.” Daniel 7:26, 27. 



Its 

preservation 


arvrf its 

ervonvies 



“ftbe word of tbe Bora enduretb 
for ever/' 1 Jeter 1:25* 



It pleased God, in His wisdom, to give to 
mankind a written history of the world, the ori¬ 
gin of the human race, the entrance of sin, and 
the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, His 
Son. The book which contains these things is 
called the Bible. It is called “ The Bible,” from 
the fact that it is a book made up from other books. 
This is emphatically true of the Scriptures. 

The Bible, while the work of several persons, 
who lived at different periods of time, during many 
centuries, is not only one book, but complete 
and harmonious, because the writers were all in¬ 
spired by the Spirit of God. Hence we read: 
“The prophecy came not in old times by the 
will of man; but holy men of God spake as they 
were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21. 

The Bible is called the word of God because 
it is the Creator’s revelation of Himself to man¬ 
kind. It tells us of the creation of all things, 
and of God’s purpose in making the earth and 
placing man upon it. It tells, too, of the origin 

[103] 









THE COMING KING. 


104 

of sin, of its awful consequences, and of the won¬ 
derful salvation which God has provided by the 
gift to the world of His own Son, Jesus Christ. 

It is called the word of God, too, because in 
it God speaks to men. To have. God’s word to 
read, and thus to be able to learn directly from 
Him what are His requirements, is the greatest 
blessing man can possess. 

It was not God’s plan that there should ever 
be any authority to assert itself by coming between 
Him and the humblest, even, of His children. 
Designing and ambitious men, however, have, 
from time to time, endeavored to keep the Bible 
out of the hands and hearts of the people, and 
even to destroy it. 

ENEMIES OF THE BIBLE. 

Since mention has been made of the enmity of the 
Roman Catholic Church towards the Bible, it seems only 
fitting that a few of the more important facts be given 
touching “ the Book of Books,” its enemies, and the means 
by which it has, not only been preserved to the world, but 
given to the common people. 

I11 early ages as there were no printing presses, the 
Bible had to be written with the pen. This made it very 
costly, and difficult to procure. At first the Old Testament 
was written in the Hebrew language, and the New Testa¬ 
ment in the Greek. But as the gospel passed beyond the 
narrow limits of the lands where these languages were 
spoken, translations were necessary, or else none but 
scholars could read the word of God for themselves. The 
lack of such translations, together with the opposition of 
the Roman Catholic Church to the Bible being read by the 


THE BIBLE AND ITS PRESERVATION. 105 


common people, prevented a general knowledge of the 
Scriptures. It is for this reason that the Catholic Church 
has always, as far as it possibly could do so, kept the Bible 
away from the people. 

The Catholic Church was founded upon the ambition 
of a powerful and proud priesthood, which usurped author¬ 
ity in the church of Christ. They knew that their work 
was contrary to the example and teachings of Christ and 
the Bible. A knowledge of the Bible by the masses would 
show their claims to be false, and their teachings erroneous. 
Hence the success of their church depended upon their 
keeping the Bible from being read by the people. 

Then followed the so-called “Dark Ages” (a. d. 486 
to A. d. 1495), in which only such portions of the Scriptures 
as the priesthood pleased, were read to the people. God, 
however, prevented the utter destruction of His written 
word, and copies of the Bible were preserved in many places. 

THE BIBLE AND THE REFORMATION. 

At length the time came when God commanded the 
light of His word to shine forth again upon the earth. 
The minds of godly men, zealous and educated, who had 
access to the Bible, were led to recognize the errors and 
evils of the Romish system of religion, and boldly took 
their stand upon the principles revealed in the word of God, 
and the gospel of Jesus Christ. These men translated the 
Bible into the language of the common people, who eagerly 
read and studied it. As a consequence, the ire of the 
church was aroused, and many of these men suffered mar¬ 
tyrdom, yielding up their lives that the truth might be 
placed within the reach of the people. 

To John Wycliffe belongs the honor of being the first 
to translate the Bible into English. Wycliffe was a monk, 
educated at Oxford. He accepted the truths of God’s 
word, and boldly preached them, sowing seed that after- 





ap- Sg|pg|g| 


. 


BURNING BIBLES AT ST. PAUL’S CROSS. LONDON 
Present Location of Foreign Bible House. 





























THE BIBLE AND ITS PRESERVATION. IOJ 


wards, in many nations, sprung up and bore fruit. He 
was called the “Gospel Doctor.” Forbidden to preach 
longer at Oxford, Wycliffe retired to his church at Lutter¬ 
worth, and so gained the needed time in which to make the 
English translation. This occupied his time for nearly 
fifteen years, being completed in A. d. 1380, over half a 
century before the birth of Martin Luther the great 
German reformer. 

Partial translations, however, had been made before 

the effort of Wyc¬ 
liffe. Bede had 
translated the gos¬ 
pel of John. The 
learned men of 
King Alfred’s 
court, the four 
evangelists. Elfric 
had translated por¬ 
tions of the Old 
Testament, an 
Anglo-Norman 
priest had para¬ 
phrased the Gos- 

Wycliffe’s Church at Lutterworth. pe ls and the Acts. 

Richard Rolle had produced a version of the Psalms, the 
Gospels, and the Epistles, “but these rare volumes,” re¬ 
marks D’Aubigne, “were hidden like theological curiosities 
in the libraries of a few converts.” 

While the priesthood held that the reading of the Bible 
was injurious to the laity, they were not able to prevent the 
reading of these translations of Wycliffe. 

“ The reception of this work,” writes the historian of 
the Reformation, J. Merle D’Aubigne, “surpassed Wyc¬ 
liffe’s expectations. The Holy Scriptures exercised a re¬ 
viving influence over men’s hearts; minds were enlightened, 



/ 



FIRST READING OF THE BIBLE IN THE CRYPT OF OLD ST. PAUL’S, LONDON, 1541 . 




























THE BIBLE AND ITS PRESERVATION 109 

and souls were converted. The voices of the ‘ poor priests ’ 
had done but little in comparison with this voice. Some¬ 
thing new had entered into the world.” 

But while many received Wycliffe’s work favorably, 
the lower clergy opposed the Reformation “with com¬ 
plaints and maledictions.” “Master John Wycliffe, by 
translating the gospel into English,” said the monks, “has 
rendered it more acceptable and more intelligible to laymen, 
and even women, than it had formerly been to intelligent 
clerks. ... The gospel pearl is everywhere cast out and 
trodden under foot of swine.” “It is heresy,” cried the 
monks, “to speak of the Holy Scriptures in English.” 

Although great good was accomplished through Wyc¬ 
liffe’s work, the world was not yet ready for a general 
revolt against the errors of the Roman Catholic Church. 
It devolved upon Martin Luther, more than a century 
later, to stir not only Germany, but the world, by the 
proclamation of the gospel, and through the translation of 
the Bible into the widely-spoken German language. 

It was not until A. D. 1440, however, sixty years after 
the completion of Wycliffe’s translation, that the art of 
printing was discovered in Mentz by John Gutenberg. For 
want of the printing press, Wycliffe could give his English 
translation of the Bible only to the more wealthy of the 
people. But about a century and a half later, in 1525, 
aided by the art of printing, William Tyndale gave to 
England the New Testament in their own language, and 
at a price within the reach of nearly all, so that even the 
very poor could, if they chose to do so, own a copy. 

The papal Priests, however, did not permit the dis¬ 
semination of the Bible without bitter opposition. Tyn- 
dale’s English New Testament was printed in Germany, 
and was sent into England in boxes of merchandise, sacks 
of grain, and in various other ways. 

The first edition of Tyndale’s Testament came from 



LA TOUR —VAL PELICE. 

(The Waldensian Capital 


























THE BIBLE AND ITS PRESERVATION. 


Ill 


the press about the close of 1525. On February ii, 1526, 
occurred the noted Bible burning scene at St. Paul’s Cross, 
London, shown in the engraving. 

Bishop Fisher preached a sermon at the time, in the 
presence of Cardinal Wolsey, at whose instance the books 
were burned. Following the sermon baskets were brought 
out filled with the Testaments bought of the merchants, 
and taken from the homes of the people, and “the here¬ 
tics,” who had dared to pur¬ 
chase them, were compelled 
to march three times around 
a fire kindled for this pur¬ 
pose, and to cast their books 
into the flames as they 
walked around it. 

The effect of this Bible 
burning crusade was not what 
II the priests anticipated. The 
1 j§ historian Burnet says: “This 
1 ' burning had a hateful appear¬ 
ance in it; and the people 
thence concluded that their 
church and those books 
taught different things, and 
so their desire was increased 
Bible Society’s House. to read the New Testament.” 



It is not without significance that upon the very spot 
where those books were burned now stands the Depository 
of the Religious Tract Society, from which place the Bible 
is now sent to almost every country in the world, and in 
almost every living language. 

The enemies of the Bible did not stop, however, with 
the destruction of copies of the Scriptures. Ten years 
after the scene at St. Paul’s Cross, Tyndale was strangled 
and his body burned. Yet the fear of death did not deter 


8 







112 


THE COMING KING. 


men, and even women, from reading the Bible. Only four 
years after Tyndale’s martyrdom, the scene took place 
represented in the illustration. Fire and sword, however, 
cannot suppress the truth of God’s word. Persecution only 
gave fresh impetus to the gospel. The word of God could 
no longer be kept from the people, for on every hand men 
and women arose in whose hearts the gospel was a fire shut 
up in their bones, and who, regardless of consequences, 
boldly proclaimed the truth. 

THE BIBLE AND THE WALDENSES. 

This battle was waged, not only in England and 
Germany, but also in France, Italy, and Switzerland. 
From 1476 to 1686 the Waldenses of the Piedmont Valleys 
were again and again besieged in their rocky fastnesses by 
papal troops, because they clung to the Bible and rejected 
the glaring errors of the Roman Church. 

The Waldensian colonies in Calabria, and Appualia 
Provinces, and in the plains of Piedmont and the French 
Alps, suffered thirty-three different periods of persecution, 
and were finally exterminated; out of 25,000 people all but 
3,000 being either killed or dying in Italian dungeons. 

The few who survived the terrible ordeal crossed the 
Alps, in winter, to Switzerland, leaving the mountain paths 
strewn with the corpses of those who fell by the way. The 
few who escaped the sword, the prison, and the Alpine 
snows, now found a haven on the shores of Take Geneva. 

Three years later they returned to their own beloved 
country, but their numbers were reduced to four hundred 
fighting men. 

The preservation of the Waldenses was accomplished, 
and the enemies of the Bible, and of those in whose hearts 
its precepts were written, were foiled. 



Barkening of the Sun. 


1 JBAi£2>ttS£lV after tbe tribulation of tbose days shall tbe 
sun be darkened, and tbe moon sball not give ber light*” 
Matthew 24:29* 


In fulfillment of this prophecy, history re¬ 
cords a wonderful and mysterious dark day, May 
19, 1780. It extended throughout all New Eng¬ 
land, and on the Atlantic Coast, from the South 
to unknown regions of the North. It brought 
great alarm and distress to many people, who 
thought that the day of judgment had come. 
It also brought “ dismay to the brute creation, 
the fowls fleeing bewildered to their roosts, and 
the birds to their nests, and the cattle to their 
stalls.” 

“ Indeed, thousands of the good people of that 
day became fully convinced that the end of all 
things terrestrial had come; many gave up, for 
the time, their secular pursuits, and betook them- 
[113] 














THE COMING KING. 


114 

selves to religious devotions; while many others 
regarded the darkness as not only a token of 
God’s indignation against the various iniquities 
and abominations of the age, but also as an omen 
of some future destruction that might overwhelm 
the land unless speedy repentance and reforma¬ 
tion took place.”—“ Great Events of the Greatest 
Century ,” p . 40. 

This darkness began between the hours of 
ten and eleven in the forenoon of Friday, of the 
date already named, and continued until the mid¬ 
dle of the following night. In some places the 
darkness was so dense that people, without the 
light of a candle, were unable to read common 
print, or tell the time of day by their watches. 

' Lamps were lighted in many dwellings. 

In a sermon preached by Rev. Elam Potter, 
May 28, 1780, and preserved among his writings, 
appears the following statement:— 

“But especially I mention the wonderful dark¬ 
ness on the 19th of May inst. [1780]. Then, as 
in our text, the sun was dai kened; such a dark¬ 
ness as was probably never known before since 
the crucifixion of our Lord. People left their 
work in the house and in the field. Travelers 
stopped; schools broke up at eleven o’clock; peo¬ 
ple lighted candles at noonday; and the fire 
shone as at night.” 

The legislature of Connecticut was in session 
that day, and as the darkness deepened the mem¬ 
bers became terrified, thinking the last day had 


DARKENING OF THE SUN. 115 

come. A motion to adjourn was made, at which 
Mr. Davenport arose, and said: “ Mr. Speaker, 
it is either the day of judgment, or it is not. 
If it is not, there is no need of adjourning. If 
it is, I desire to be found doing my duty. I move 
that candles be brought, and that we proceed to 
business.” From the Journal of the Connecticut 
House of Representatives , Friday, May 19, 1780. 
we learn that that body did adjourn from eleven 
o’clock until two in the afternoon.* 

u And the moon shall not give her light.” 
The first half of the night following this dark 
day was remarkable for the density of its dark¬ 
ness. Following are quotations with reference 
to it:— 

“ At eight in the evening, the darkness was 
so impenetrably thick as to render traveling pos¬ 
itively impracticable; and although the moon rose 
nearly full about nine o’clock, yet it did not give 
light enough to enable a person to distinguish 
between the heavens and the earth.”—“ Great 
Events of the Greatest Century ,” p. 44. 

u A great part of the following night also [May 
19, 1780] was singularly dark. The moon, though 
in the full, gave no light, as in our text.”— Sermon 
by Rev . Elam Potter , May 28 , 1/80. 


* For further information on this subject, the reader is re¬ 
ferred to Webster’s Dictionary, edition of 1869, under the head of 
Explanatory and Pronouncing Vocabulary of Noted Names, art. 
Dark Day ; Josiah Litch, in “ Prophetic Expositions ; ” tract by the 
American Tract Society, No. 379, “Fife of Edward Lee;” Robert 
Sear’s “Guide to Knowledge,” edition of 1844. 










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DARKENING OF THE SUN. 


11 ? 

“ The darkness of the following evening or 
night was probably as gross as has ever been 
observed since the Almighty fiat gave birth to 
light. ... A sheet of white paper 
held within a few inches of the eyes 
was equally invisible with the black¬ 
est velvet.”— Mr. Tenney, in Stone's 
“ History of Beverly ” (Mass.), quoted 
by Mr. Gage to the Historical Society. 

11 And the moon became as blood.” 
Revelation 6:12. This verse, together 
with the 13th, records the 
same prophecy as given 
by the Saviour in Mat¬ 
thew 24 : 29, with the fore¬ 
going statement added in 
regard to the appearance 
IP of the moon. 

Mr. Stone, in his “ His- 
Ecupse. tory 0 £ Beverly,” speak¬ 
ing of the latter part of the night 
following the dark day, says : u About 
midnight the clouds were dispersed, 
and the moon and stars appeared with 
unimpaired brilliancy.” 

Of the appearance of the moon, 
when it became visible, Milo Bost- 
wick writes : “ My father and moth¬ 
er, who were pious, thought the day 
of judgment was near. They sat up all night, dur¬ 
ing the latter part of which they said the dark- 



Position of Planets 
necessary for an 



Position of Planets on 
Dark Day. Eclipse 
Impossible. 



Il8 the coming king. 

ness disappeared, and then the sky seemed as 
usual; but the moon, which was at the full, had 
the appearance of bloodf thus fulfilling accurately 
the prophecy as quoted from the Revelation. 

This dark day has never been explained. 
Various theories have been offered, but none of 
them can bear the test of science. Some might 
think it was a total eclipse of the sun. But 
supposing this theory possible, such an eclipse 
could last for a short period only, while this dark¬ 
ness continued through half a day and half a 
night. The two following statements should settle 
this point forever :— 

“ An eclipse of the sun can occur only at new 
moon. The reason is obvious. To produce it the 
sun, the moon, and the earth must be in a 
straight line, the moon being in the center.”— 
American Encyclopedic Dictionary , art. Eclipse . 

“ That the darkness was not caused by an eclipse 
is manifest; . . . for the moon was more than one 
hundred and fifty degrees from the sun all that 
day,” and was “more than forty hours’ motion 
past her opposition.”—“ Great Events of the Great¬ 
est Century ,” p. 46. 

The great astronomer Herschel, speaking of 
the unaccountable nature of this day, says : “ The 
dark day in North America was one of those won¬ 
derful phenomena of nature which will always be 
read with interest, but which philosophy is at a 
loss to explain.” 

Noah Webster said of it: “ The true cause of 
this remarkable phenomenon is not known.” 


DARKENING OF THE SUN. 


119 


The questions which remain to be settled with 
each of us are, Does this dark day of May 19, 
1780, fulfil the requirements of the Lord’s proph¬ 
ecy? Is it one of the way-marks placed 
upon the face of nature to warn us that 
we are living in the “ time of the end ? ” 

So far as we have gone, it certainly ful¬ 
fills every requirement of the prophecy. 

Then how shall we place ourselves with 
relation to it? 

If it was of such importance that Christ 
incorporated it into the wonderful proph¬ 
ecy which we are studying, it is certainly 
of enough importance to us to cause us to 
ponder well. Remember our Saviour’s 
words, “Take heed that no man deceive 
you.” Do not allow any theory or 
any individual to belittle an event 
which was important enough for 
the Lord to foretell it so explicitly. 

There is yet one important item 
to be considered, and that is the 
time in which this event occurred. 

Matthew, in speaking of it, said: 

“ Immediately after the tribulation of those 
days shall the sun be darkened, and the 
moon shall not give her light.” Matthew 
24: 29. Mark, speaking of the same event, 


Days of 
tribulation 
began 
A. D. 538. 


Tribulation 1 

A. D. 

stopped by I 


Reformation. J 

1773 

Dark Day. 


“ In those days 

A. D. 

after that 

1780 

tribulation.” 



Days end 

1798 


said: “But in those days, after that tribulation, 
the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall 
not give her light.” Mark 13:24. 


Days shortened ior 
elect’s sake 25 years. 







120 


THE COMING KING. 


In the chapter on “ Great Tribulation ” we 
found that this “tribulation” referred to the 1260 
years of papal persecution, the days of which 
would end in 1798. But Christ said, “Except 
those days should be shortened, there should no 
flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days 
shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:22. So we find 
that the persecution practically ended in 1773, thus 
shortening by twenty-five years the “ days ” as 
foretold in the prophecy. It is historically stated 
that there were no martyrdoms after that time. 

So Mark, in telling when this dark day should 
occur, makes the application still more pointed and 
specific. He says, “ In those days, after that trib¬ 
ulation.” This fixes with certainty the actual date 
when this phenomenon should appear as being 
somewhere between 1773 and 1798. History puts 
the occurence in 1780, thus completing a most re¬ 
markable chain of evidence which can not be 
broken. 



\yy i As 5eery 
a '> v New Bnql&ndT 


1RD tbe stars sball tall from beavett.” /flat* 
tbew 24:29. 


The next sign foretold by 
our Saviour was that of the 
falling stars. This was literally ful¬ 
filled in the great meteoric shower which occured 
November 13, 1833. This wonderful exhibition 
of celestial fireworks began between two and four 
o’clock in the morning, and continued until day¬ 
light. It extended over North America, and as far 
south as Mexico and the island of Jamaica. 

The effect produced upon those who witnessed 
this event is thus described:— 

“ No celestial phenomenon has ever occured 
in this country, since its first settlement, which 
was viewed with such intense admiration by one 
class in the community, or with so much dread 
and alarm by another. 

[ 121 ] 



122 


THE COMING KING. 


“ During the three hours of its continuance, 
the day of judgement was believed to be only 
waiting for sunrise, and long after the shower 
had ceased, the morbid and superstitious were 
still impressed with the idea that the final day 
was at least only a week ahead. 

“ Meetings for prayer were held in many places, 
and many other scenes of religious devotion, or 
terror, or abandonment of worldly affairs, trans¬ 
pired under the influence of fear occasioned by so 
sudden and awful a display.”—“ Great Events of 
the Greatest Century ,” p. 229. 

A Southern planter speaks as follows of the 
effect of this scene on the black population :— 

“I was suddenly awakened by the most dis¬ 
tressing cries that ever fell on my ears. Shrieks 
of horror, and cries for mercy, could be heard 
from most of the negroes of three plantations, 
amounting in all to some six or eight hundred. 
While earnestly and breathlessly listening for the 
cause, I heard a faint voice near the door, call¬ 
ing my name. 

“ I arose, and taking my sword, stood at the 
door. At this moment I heard the same voice 
still beseeching me to rise, and saying, 1 O my 
God , the world is on fire! ) I then opened the 
door, and it is difficult to say which excited me 
most, the awfulness of the scene or the distressed 
cries of the negroes. 

“ Upwards of one hundred lay prostrate upon 
the ground, some speechless, and others uttering 


The Falling of the Stars, Nov. 13, 1833. 

Thk great fall of meteoric stars upon Nov. 13, 1833, was so re¬ 
markable as to attract the attention of many thousands of people of 
all classes, from the scientist to the humblest tiller of the soil. Some 
persons of world-wide fame have described the scene and the impres¬ 
sion it made upon them. Among them was the famous colored orator, 
Frederick A. Douglas. In his book, “My Bondage and Freedom,” 
he describes the falling of the stars in the following manner : “I wit¬ 
nessed this gorgeous spectacle, and was awe struck. The air seemed 
filled with bright descending messengers from the sky. It was about 
daybreak when I saw this sublime scene. It was not without the sug¬ 
gestion at that moment, that it might be the harbinger of the coming 
of the Son of man ; and in my state of mind I was prepared to hail Him 
, as my friend and deliverer. I had read that the stars shall fall from 
heaven, and they were now falling. I was suffering much in my mind, 
and I was beginning to look away to heaven for the rest denied me 
on earth.” 

There are many living witnesses of that event, some of whom have 
given in their own words, a statement of how it was, as they recall it. 

Lucy Reese, lived at Point Lookout, Ga., Nov. 13, 1833. She 
says : “I was fourteen years old at the time the stars fell. It seemed 
to me like a shower of rain. The people were greatly frightened, and 
there was much reading of the Bible because they thought the judg¬ 
ment had come.” 

Rose Grace was living at that time at Marion, Ala. She says : “ I 
was seventeen years old when the stars fell. I watched them a long 
time. They appeared to go out when they were about ten feet from 
the ground. Everybody thought that the judgment-day had come. 
I told them if that was so it was too late to pray.” 

Henry Lewis, a slave, of Harrisburg, Ky., was nineteen years old 
at the time. He says : “It seemed as if the starry heavens were com¬ 
ing down. I was about twelve miles from home with a horse I had 
stolen from my master, but when I returned they were all so excited 
and engaged in prayer that I slipped the horse into the stable and es¬ 
caped detection.” 

Caroline Walker of Vicksburg, Miss., states : “ The world looked 
like it was all in a light blaze, and continued so until the day began 
to dawn. From every direction on the plantation I could hear screams, 
and cries that the judgment-day had come. It was an awful night.” 

Richmond Smith of Vicksburg, Miss., says : “I was living at that 
time in Putnam Co., Ga. Was nineteen years old. Was awakened by 
the voice of one crying, ‘ The time is come, ’ Everybody felt that it 
was the judgment and that the end of the world had come.” 

Sanford Williams was living at the time in Louisville, Ky. He is 
now ninety-six years old. He says: “I was playing a violin for a 
dance at the time. One of the ladies went to the door, and screamed, 
‘The judgment, the judgment-day is come.’ and fainted. Another 
ran to the door, and said about the same words and fell lifeless. Then 
I went to the door, playing on my violin as I went. When I saw the 
stars all falling, I threw down my violin and cried, ‘ O ! Lord, O Lord, 
have mercy on me and save me this night and I will serve you. until 
I die.’ In every direction I could hear men, women, and children 
screaming ‘The judgment-day is come.’” 

[123] 



Copyrighted, 1898, by J. E. White. 

At Niagara Falls. THE FALLING STARS. On the Mississippi 



















THE FALLING STARS. 125 

the bitterest moans, but with their hands raised, 
imploring God to save the world and them. The 
scene was truly awful, for never did rain fall 
much thicker than the meteors fell toward the 
earth; east, west, north, and south, it was the 
same. In a word the whole heavens seemed in 
motion .” 

Arago estimates that “not less than two hun¬ 
dred and forty thousand meteors were at the same 
time visible above the horizon of Boston.” An¬ 
other writer, who was at Niagara at the time, 
says: “ No spectacle so terribly grand and sub¬ 
lime was ever before beheld by man as that of 
the firmament descending in fiery torrents over 
the dark and roaring cataract.” 

The way these stars fell is thus foretold by 
the prophet John: “The stars of heaven fell unto 
the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely 
[unripe] figs, when she is shaken of a mighty 
wind.” Revelation 6:13. 

Professor Olmstead, of Yale College, says: 
“ The meteors did not fly at random over all parts 
of the sky, but appeared to emanate from a point 
in the constellation Leo, near a star called Gam¬ 
ma Leonis, in the bend of the sickle.” 

Henry Dana Ward speaks of the literal ful¬ 
fillment of the foregoing text as follows:— 

“ Here is the exactness of the prophet. The 
falling stars did not come as if from several trees 
shaken, but from one . Those which appeared in 
the east fell toward the east; those which ap- 


126 


THE COMING KING. 


peared in the north fell toward the north; those 
which appeared in the west fell toward the west; 
and those which appeard in the south (for I 
went out of my residence into the park) fell 
toward the south. 

u And they fell not as ripe fruit falls; far 
from it; hut they flew, they were cast , like the 
unripe fig, which at first refuses to leave the 
branch, and when, under a violent pressure, it 
does break its hold, flies swiftly, straight off, de¬ 
scending; and in the multitude falling, some cross 
the track of others, as they are thrown with more 
or less force, but each one falls on its own side 
of the tree.” 

In Burnett’s “ Geography of the Heavens ” is 
found the following description:— 

“ The first appearance was that of fireworks 
of the most imposing grandeur, covering the en¬ 
tire vault of heaven with myriads of fire-balls re¬ 
sembling sky-rockets. Their coruscations were 
bright, gleaming, and incessant, and they fell thick 
as the flakes in the early snow of December. 
To the splendor of this celestial exhibition the 
most brilliant sky-rockets and fireworks of art 
bear less relation than the twinkling of the most 
tiny star to the broad glare of the sun.” 

To the student of prophecy there can be no 
question that this event forms another link in 
the chain of prophecy already fulfilled. It is an¬ 
other milestone to tell us where we are in the 
rapidly passing events of this world’s history. 



FAMINE SUFFERERS IN RUSSIA. 


ounmm 


1RB there shall he famines.’ 
Matthew 24:7* 


Anything which 
cuts off the supply 
of food from any part of the world produces fam¬ 
ine in that locality. There are many causes that 
may result in famine, prominent among which are 
drought, excessive rains, floods, frosts, the deso¬ 
lation of war, etc. 

History records more than three hundred and 
fifty famines since the memorable seven years’ 
famine in Egypt in Joseph’s time. Among the 
most prominent of recent times may be mentioned 
the following:— 

In 1775, in Cape Verd, 15,000 persons perished. 

In 1814, 1816, 1822, 1831, and 1846, occurred 
the notable famines in Ireland, occasioned by the 
failure of the potato crop. In 1847, English 
Parliament voted $50,000,000 to purchase food for 
the starving people of Ireland during the famine 
of that year. 

In 1837-38, 800,000 persons perished in North¬ 
western • India. 

In 1865-66, in Bengal and Orissa about 1,000, 
000, persons perished. [127] 


9 






























































































































































































FAMINES. 


129 


THE FAMINES OF INDIA. 

The following facts are gathered from an article by 
Charles Edward Russell, entitled, “Soldiers of the Com¬ 
mon Good,” in Everybody's Magazine , for June, 1906. 

Eight million souls perished in India in one year for 
lack of food — not mercifully cut off from a happy life 
in the midst of plenty by terrific earthquake — not swept 
down by the devastating fire or war or revolution, willing 
sacrifices of a nation — not victims of accident or disease, 
but perished after the prolonged agonies of deprivation 
and starvation. Perished, men, women, and little children 
while daily watching each other grow gaunt and lean and 
sunken eyed, until with parched throats and gnawing 
pains they sink upon their crouched haunches, the bones 
all but protruding from their attenuated limbs, and 
await death in the village streets already cumbered with 
the dead, for there were not enough living to give them 
burial. 

A famine in India claimed more victims in a year 
than have perished in all the battlefields of the world 
in centuries. 

We shudder at the thought of the French Revolution 
and the Reign of Terror, but it would take 3,500 Reigns 
of Terror to kill as many people as died' in India in one 
year from lack of food. 

In 1877 more than 5,000,000 perished in the region 
of Madras. In the valley of Ganter, boasting 700,000 
inhabitants, death by starvation claimed two out of every 
five. 

In the Northern Indian famine of 1837, 1,000,000 
perished. In i860, in the same region, 200,000. In 1866 
one-third of the population perished. I11 1869, in the 
same region, the mortality was 1,200,000, and again in 
1878 it was 1,250,000. 

In the great famine of 1897, 3,000,000 were receiving 


130 


THE COMING KING. 


government relief which alone kept them from death. 

In 1900 began the startling devastation of black famine 
that was not extinguished for two years. Six million and 
two hundred thousand people were kept from starvation 
by the relief of the government and outside charities. 

Between the years 1891 and 1901 there was an actual 
decrease in the population of 8,000,000. On a basis of 



10.2 per cent, increase in the famine area there should 
have been an increase of 8,000,000, showing an estimated 
loss to the country of 16,000,000 souls in ten years. 

The famines of India are growing worse and coming 
more often. The large charities which flow in from the 
superabundance of nations reeking in plenty is scarcely 
sufficient to check the slow tread of the gaunt figures 
in that huge charnel house. 

THE EVIL OF CASTE. 

But pitiable as is the death of this vast multitude of 
souls, their lives are still more pitiable; bound by a 
chain of forged circumstances of birth and governmental 















































FAMINES. 131 

conditions, they have no means of preventing the inevitable 
famines nor of relieving the perennial starvation. 

In the Hindu System all men are born into a rigidly 
defined class or caste. The original demarcation having 
been regulated centuries ago by their ancestors, and being 
most rigidly adhered to even to this day and to the end 
of time. The four great divisions of caste are the 
Brahmin priests, the warriors, the farmers and traders, 
and the Sudras, serfs, and laborers. 

An Indian is doomed to rise no higher than the caste 
in which he was born. He may fall to a lower or the 
lowest, but never by learning, wisdom, achievement, benevo¬ 
lence, service to his country, or the accumulation of sordid 
wealth can he arise above that station in which he and 
his father were born and of which caste his sons and 
grandsons will forever be. He cannot touch one of the 
caste beneath him without becoming defiled. He may 
not relieve his distress or show compassion for his woes. 
And he may not though he starve receive food from his 
hands or drink from his cup. He guards himself in the 
multitude lest a low caste “dog” jostle against him. 

‘ ‘ Low caste servants and dogs ’ ’ are not permitted to 
enter the magnificent temples of the more fortunate and 
wealthy nabobs. The laborers are contemptibly despised 
according to the gradations of their caste, branded with 
an ineffaceable sign of infamy, “laborers.” 

The Sudras, the lowest caste of laborers, work for 
$2.24 per month ; work as human machines without hope, 
without opportunity, without light or joy or sufficiency. 
Their faces are vacant, pathetic, and listless. They never 
speak a word or exchange glances. Clothed with but a 
dirty rag about the loins and a dirty turban about the 
head, ever looking downward, they have no consciousness 
of man’s existence other than the mechanical work in 
which they are engaged. No hope of a happier existence 
for them in this world or the next. 


132 


THE COMING KING. 


THE AWFUL TAX BURDEN. 

The farmer is the first step above the Sudras in caste. 
He is not improvident nor is he a fool. If he had a 
chance he would in years of plenty lay by for the lean 
years sure to follow; but because of the land system and 
the tax system he is never able to lay by the smallest 
reserve. He usually rents his land, but if he should be 
a peasant proprietor his condition is but little improved. 
The basis of taxes is one-half the value of the crop after 

the expense 
of cultivation 
has been de¬ 
ducted. The 
more energy 
and labor he 
puts into his 
work the 
more heavily 
is he taxed. 
The greater 
his industry 
the higher his 
rent. In 
eleven years 
840,713 farm¬ 
ers were sold out for defaulting in their taxes. Not only 
were their tenancy rights taken from them, but their 
wretched furniture, their cooking utensils, all except the 
rags of clothing they wore. The Indian farmer is the 
most heavily taxed person in the world, he is taxed into 
famine. 

NO IMPROVEMENTS FOR 3,000 YEARS. 

The farmer’s work is done with the conveniences of 
1000 years b. c. He has no irrigating plant, he waters 
his land by drawing water in buckets from wells with 
ox teams. 


































FAMINES. 


133 


Mr. Russell, in relating his experience, says: “From 
one well I examined, the product was seventy gallons an 
hour. But that was enough to keep green the little field, 
and so long as the little field was green the farmer and 
his household could live. 

“But not every farm has a well, not every farmer 
has a team of bullocks to pull up the water, nor men 
to help him. And where there were no wells the ground 
was baked to brick-dust.” 

“There are no modern pumps in India. 'Every day 
in that unhappy region the wind blew ten, twelve, fifteen 
miles an hour, and I traveled two thousand miles there 
and saw only two windmill pumps. One was at a hotel 
and the other at an English dairy.” 

The soil is so rich that it is capable of producing two 
or even three crops per year, provided there is plenty of 
rainfall. The rainfalls are not to be depended upon; 
seasons of drought are invarably followed by seasons of 
famine. 

If the Indian soil were irrigated as abundantly as our 
Western Valleys they would no doubt bring forth as 
unfailingly and as abundantly. 

India is crossed and recrossed by rivers and water¬ 
courses. They are always full during the spring and early 
summer. It would be easily possible for the Government 
to put in reservoirs and effective irrigating plants and thus 
prevent the famines that have so inevitably followed every 
drought. The Government of India has plenty of means, 
the Indian farmer has none. 

THE PITY OF IT. 

From a reading of the experiences of Mr. Russell 
during his investigations through India, it seems clear 
that there is no need for the awful devastations of that 
land by famine and the plagues which follow. 


^34 


THE COMING KING. 


India has been under the rule of England for one 
hundred and fifty years, during which time there have 
been thirty-three awful famines. What has she done to 
relieve this distressed land ? Proper irrigation would save 
the country. The installing of a well, a pump, and a 
wind-mill means the salvation of a farmer and his family. 
Yet, Mr. Russell says, “I have never heard that the 
Government took enough interest in the matter to try 
to introduce such things.” 

One writer says, ‘ ‘ The Government of India has 
plenty of means.” This is evidenced by Mr. Russell’s 
account of the entertainment of the Prince of Wales 
during his recent three months’ tour through that country. 
It was one long series of extravagant display. 

“Bombay, the splendid, surpassed itself in the face 
of joy it presented when the Prince landed. Native 
nobles came from all the regions around, the streets were 
filled with their gorgeous cavalcades, the illuminations 
were marvelous. The great reception was described as 
* one blaze of diamonds; such a display of jewels and 
magnificent costumes had probably never been witnessed 
before in India.’ ” 

“At Jaipur the Mahraja had subscribed $330,000 
merely to ornament the city.” The subscriptions of 
wealthy merchants swelled this sum enormously. Great 
triumphal arches were erected and the houses decorated 
with bunting and greenery. But this was not enough. 
4 ‘ Whole streets were repainted in gayest colors to please 
the Prince’s eye.” 

“ The old palace at Amber, abandoned by the Mahrajas 
when Jaipur was built, was cleared of its accumulated 
rubbish, and restored to the height of ancient splendors.” 
For a few days only the Prince remained to enjoy this 
palace, but the cost was enormous. 

At Bikanir, Eehore, and Peshawar, the Prince was 
entertained regardless of outlay. 


FAMINES. 


135 


A t Rawilpindi ‘ ‘ forty thousand troops were assembled 
from all parts of India,” and presented “the greatest 
military pageant witnessed in modern Asia.” 

Delhi spent a million dollars in entertaining the Prince. 

Agra, Gwalior, Eucknow, and Calcutta created new 
records of festivity. 



Old Palace at Amber Restored at Enormous Expense to its Ancient Splendor 
for the Prince's Visit. 

“At Rangoon the famous lakes were illuminated with 
such lavish and beautiful effects that ‘all conception of 
Fairy Eand was eclipsed.’ ” 

The journey down the Irrawaddy River occupied three 
days. Three steamers were provided for the Prince and 
his company, one of which had been rebuilt for the oc¬ 
casion. The estimated cost to the steamboat company 
was $200,000. 

For his travel on land the train provided was “a 
marvel of sumptuous luxury.” Every car of this train 
had been “specially constructed for the use of the royal 
party.” 

But the Prince of Wales did not see India. He saw 
only what those who conducted the tour wished him to 
see. But that was not India. 



















136 


THE COMING KING. 


“Here, in this frightful country, are 296,000,000 
people, of whom 130,000,000 live in a way unfit for 
beasts, in a way that would be unwholesome and intoler¬ 
able for swine, burrowing in wretched mud huts, clad in 
strips of rag, fed upon meagre fragments barely enough 
to keep them alive, swarming in filth unutterable.” 

And while millions were being poured out in spectac¬ 
ular display to gratify and honor a Prince of the realm 
to which this land belonged, “the plague was raging in 
many cities, cholera had made its annual appearance,” 
and ‘ ‘ here was beginning what promised to be the worst 
of all famines of black famine history.” 

Well may the lovers of humanity suggest that the 
millions spent in unnecessary display could have reclaimed 
whole districts of famine and plague stricken India. 

HOW WE ARE INTERESTED. 

Are the people of to-day concerned regarding the 
spread of the “plague,” and in the means and efforts 
for its suppression ? Let such remember that India is the 
plague center of the world. 

Every famine in that seemingly so far off land is a 
menace to the health of the whole civilized world. Epi¬ 
demics invaribly follow famines. Fevers, smallpox, chol¬ 
era, the plague, lurk in the poisonous water supplies, the 
undrained cesspools, the germ laden dust, the defective 
sanitation attendant upon the unburied dead of the famine 
period. These epidemics always reap a second crop of 
death in this benighted land. In the year 1900 following 
the famine, 809,179 died of cholera, 85,796 of smallpox, 
and 552,704 of dysentery. From this focus these highly 
contagious diseases are carried to every foreign port and 
there break out afresh. 

No land is immune, no household is even comparatively 
safe, until India is reclaimed. 


FAMINES. 


137 


NOT IN INDIA ALONE. 

But it is not to India alone that we can look for the 
fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy as recorded in Matthew 
24: 7. Three hundred thousand died of starvation and 
attendant diseases in the reconcentrado camps of Cuba 
during her war with Spain. Russia and China have 
had their recent famines, and in many districts are always 
on the verge of starvation. Recently the United States 
and other lands have liberally contributed to assist in 
caring for the famine sufferers in the interior of Japan. 


While famine is not a direct evidence of the last days, 
yet its increasing frequency, together with the failure of 
food crops, shows that our world is growing old, and, 
like a feeble old man, is wasting away to its final death. 
In many localities that once produced abundantly, con¬ 
tinual cropping has taken the fertility from the soil, until 
it has become wholly unproductive, and hence is aban¬ 
doned to weeds and briers. 

But still more alarming as it applies more directly to 
our immediate needs, some of our most important food 
crops are failing, often without apparent cause. The 
falling off of the wheat crop in the leading wheat-pro¬ 
ducing States is. startling, and grave fears are aroused 
in regard to the future of this staple bread product. 
For years the papers of our land have been calling atten¬ 
tion to the decrease of the grain crops of the United 
States. The New York Tribune states that in the three 
great wheat-producing States of Ohio, Illinois, and Michi¬ 
gan, “the average wheat crop has run down to less 
than twelve bushels to the acre and it cannot be long 
till the wheat culture there must be abandoned as un¬ 
profitable.” 

The abundant wheat crops of the great Western States 
are filling the gap caused by the falling off in the older 



THE COMING KING. 


138 



States that are suggestive and 
even startling. . . . Facts 
showing the decrease of yield 
in every State would be 
equally striking and more 
sadly suggestive. . . . Many 
gloomy reports and forebod¬ 
ings of failure have come from the ‘ Golden State.’ ” 

Everything indicates that the world is growing old, 
and in her dotage. The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the 
last days, says, “The earth shall wax old like a garment.” 
Isaiah 51 : 6. The truth of this prophecy is brought to 
our minds in a hundred different ways. The difficulty and 


wheat-producing States; but these may in turn show the 
same record as the others. Already California, which 
for years has been our greatest wheat-producing State, 
is showing a decrease in production. Of this a prominent 
California paper says: “In our oldest wheat-raising 
districts there has been a marked decline in produc¬ 
tion since 1866.” 

An agricultural report from Washington makes 
the following statement: ‘ ‘ Twenty years have 

wrought changes in the list of the wheat-! 




FAMINES. 


x 39 


uncertainty, the falling off of crops that a few years ago 
were regarded as sure; the failure entirely of some of 
the products of the soil, especially in certain localities; 
the uncertainty, and sometimes absolute impossibility, of 
growing some kinds of fruit,— all these tell of rapid de¬ 
cline and old age of the world, which is to immediately, 
precede the second coming of our Eord. 

The causes of crop failures are not always the same. 
Sometimes it is failure in vitality of old mother earth 
herself; sometimes it is lack of proper rains; and some¬ 
times it is the invasion of insect enemies to vegetation. 
During the last few years, scores of new insect pests 
have arisen, at times practically exterminating some of 
the products of the soil that were previously abundant. 
The scourge of the locust and the grasshopper has been 
felt in many of our grain-producing States. The prophet 
Joel says of them: “The land is as the garden of Eden 
before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness.’* 
Joel 2 : 3. 

Professor Riley says, in the International Encyclo¬ 
pedia : ‘ ‘ Insignificant individually, but mighty collectively, 
locusts fall upon a country like a plague or blight. The 
harvest is at hand; the day breaks with a smiling sun, 
and all the earth seems glad. . . . The morrow comes; 
the fertile land of promise and plenty has become a desolate 
waste.’’ 

Greater destruction to agriculture is predicted for the 
future. “That which the palmer-worm hath left hath 
the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left 
hath the canker-worm eaten. . . . Alas for the day! 
for the day of the Eord is at hand, and as a destruction 
from the Almighty shall it come. . . . The seed is 
rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the 
barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. How 
do the beasts groan ! the herds of cattle are perplexed, 
because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep 


140 


THE COMING KING. 



are made desolate. . . . The beasts of the field cry also 
unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and 
the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.” 
Joel i : 4-20. 

To the Bible student the events transpiring around us 
are significant, and point to the day near at hand when the 
earth and the things that are therein “shall wax old as 
doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt 
thou fold them up, and they shall be 
changed. ’ ’ Hebrews 1 : 11, 12. 























In harmony with this prophecy, we may ex¬ 
pect to find in history records of fearful loss of 
life by plague and pestilence. As a sign of the 
second coming of Christ and of “ the end of the 
world,” we may look for such visitations to in¬ 
crease as these events draw near and are about 
to take place in their dread reality. 

Therefore we find that although pestilences have 
prevailed during the whole Christian era, their fa¬ 
tality has increased as the years have passed, and 
especially have their visitations been most destruc¬ 
tive during the past two centuries. New and fatal 
epidemics are arising from time to time, while 
the old scourges of the densely populated, filthy 
portions of the world, still do their deadly and 
ghastly work. 

The following description of four of the most 
dreaded pestilences is condensed from papers writ¬ 
ten for “ Coming King ” by Branscombe Ashley, 
M. A., M. D. 

[141] 















142 


THE COMING KING. 


THE BLACK PLAGUE. 



Hospital in the Plague District—India. 

40,000 died in Paris between sunrise 
and sunset. 

I11 1563, 1,000 a week died in Eondon, 200,000 died 
in Moscow, and 50,000 at Eyons. 

In 1576, Venice lost 70,000. 

In 1603, 38,000 died in Eondon, and 1,000,000 in 

"Egypt. 


The black death, or bubonic plague, as it is called, 
is among the oldest and most fatal of pestilences. In its 
presence human skill stands paralyzed. No 
cure has ever been found for it. 

The first accounts of this plague date 
back to 253 A. D. From 542 to 565 it raged 
in Egypt and Italy. In 543 it reached 
Constantinople, where it carried off 10,000 
persons in one day. Between the years 664 
and 683 it visited England four times. 

In the fourteenth century, it traveled 
over Europe generally, reaching England in 1349. 
Hecker estimates that during the years of this 
visitation 25,000,000 persons died. Eondon was 
visited in 1400, 

1406, and 1428. 

In 1428, 80,- 
000 died in 
Dantzic. 

In 1472, 











PESTILENCES. 


143 


In 1656, Genoa lost 60,000. 

In 1664 was the great plague of Eondon. The total 
deaths were 68,596. The infected houses were marked 
with a red cross and the legend, “God have mercy 
upon us.” 

In the eighteenth century, the plague visited Con¬ 
stantinople, and spread along the Danube. 

In 1743 it appeared in Sicily, in 1744 in Hungary, 
then successively in European Turkey and Moldavia. 

It was in Constantinople in 1802-3, Armenia and 
Bagdad in 1807, Russia, 1808, Turkey and Egypt in 
1828, Russia in 1834-35. 

In 1853-54 it spread over Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

It appeared in Europe on the Volga in 1878-79. 

Since that time it has broken out many times in 
different places, but modern sanitary science has suc¬ 
ceeded in confining it to some degree. 


The following facts and quotations are from an article 
by Charles Edward Russell, in Everybodys Magazine for 
June, 1906, entitled, “Soldiers of the Common Good:”— 
When the people are fairly well fed, and have proper 
sanitary surroundings, they are in condition to resist in¬ 
fection. But in India millions live continually in a state 
of semi-starvation, and drink from poisonous water sup¬ 
plies. This with the unsanitary surroundings of un¬ 
drained cesspools, germ-laden dust, etc., render this 
thickly populated country a veritable hot bed for malig¬ 
nant, contagious, and infectious diseases. 

When weakened by famine, the system is in no con¬ 
dition to resist the inroads of disease. “Famine slays 
its millions and the diseases that are famine’s children 
slay their tens of millions. The rapidity of these 
slaughters is something to make one gasp with amaze¬ 
ment.” 

10 



144 


THE COMING KING. 



But the danger from the black plague is not con¬ 
fined to India. It is not a malady of the tropics; it is 
a cold-weather disease and thrives in the unsanitary 
places of the north lands. A temperature of twenty-two 
degrees below zero does not kill the germs. 

Already the black plague is making its 
way northward. It has affected Rangoon 
which was heretofore considered immune, 
and this year (1906) has entered Afghan¬ 
istan. “If it shall continue to spread north 
and west through Persia to the Caspian, to 
Russia, through the population centers of 
Europe — what then? Imagine such a dis¬ 
ease among the peasants of Russia, in the 
slums of Hamburg, in the reeking dens of 
Whitechapel!” We may add that the con¬ 
ditions in these places are as favorable to 
the spread of the plague as are the 
worst districts of India. 

This awful disease is not 
confined to 
the natives. 
Europeans 
are not im- 
mune as 
many as¬ 
sert. 

“The 
powerful 
poison gen¬ 
erated in the system by the plague bacillus attacks what¬ 
ever organ or function in the body is the weakest. It 
may therefore appear that the patient died, not of the 
plague, but of heart failure, if the heart were weak; of 
septicemia, if the blood were thin; of pneumonia, if the 
lungs were affected, and so on. In Bombay, at least, 


Burning the Dead — India. 






pestilences. 


*45 


and, I believe, in some other cities, Europeans that have 
died of plague have been reported as dying of the symp¬ 
tomatic disorder that was the immediate cause of death 
and by this dissimulation the truth has been concealed. 
The Plague Commission Report asserts that thirty-five 
per cent, of the deaths caused by plague had been re¬ 
corded as deaths from other causes. 

“Europeans (and Americans) are exposed to the dis¬ 
ease equally with other men. A friend of mine, an 
American, living in Calcutta, had one child, a little 
daughter. The house stood in the most healthful part 
of the city, the family is exceedingly well-to-do, the mem¬ 
bers might be thought to be immune if any of white skin 
are immune. A rat came through the front yard. The 
little girl’s pet dog killed the rat. Two days later the 
little girl died of the plague. 

“Any day an infected rat may come through any 
other dooryard in an infected city, or into any house, or 
into any shop, or any port.* 

“For rats spread the plague, and rats flock to ships, 
and ships carry them about the world; and with the ex¬ 
treme indifference with which steamship owners and officers 
in Eastern waters regard this pregnant source of infection, 
hardly a harbor in the world is free this minute from 
imminent danger of plague importation from India. I 
have seen rats running about the upper promenade deck 
of one of the most famous passenger steamers that ply 
between England and India, and the fact that rats have 
carried the plague to ports as far away from Bombay as 
Fremantle, Sydney, Hongkong, Oporto, Aukland, Cape 

* The following item is clipped from The Sun , of New York, of 
April, ii, 1906: — 

PmnADEnPHiA, April 10. — Four cases of bubonic plague are 
now on the steamship “Burrsfield,” from Bombay, which is held 
in quarentine at Reedy Island. Two other seamen died at sea from 
the effects of the plague. 



146 THE COMING KING. 

Town, San Francisco, Glasgow, and Liverpool, gives some 
notion of the gravity of the peril that issues from the 
reeking dens of India to menace the world. And this is 
the price we pay for slums. 

* 1 And do you know what the 
plague does? It slays almost 
every person it seizes. The mor¬ 
tality varies from sixty to ninety 
per cent., and in some records it 
has reached ninety-five per cent. 

“Yet the plague in the first 
stages of its progress is a sheer 
matter of dirt and bad sanitation, 
of rats and vermin, of slums and 
foul dwellings and overcrowding 
and dark corners, of poverty and 
empty stomachs. Places that are 
clean and have sewers and wide 
streets and well-fed inhabitants 
never have plague — until it is 
brought into them from the slum 
cities.” 

The time was when this plague could have been 
stamped out, or at least brought under control. But the 
apathy of the world to this menace will surely bring it to 
other lands. Already have occasional cases been reported 
in South America, Hawaii, San Francisco, and some of the 
eastern cities of the United States. In some unhealthful 
season we may expect this plague to find its way to our 
very doors. Until intelligent, untiring effort is put forth to 
guard India against both famine and pestilence no country 
in the world is safe from the plagues which it breeds. 

SMALLPOX. 

Smallpox is one of the oldest pestilences of which we 
have any account. The contagion exceeds in virulence 


DEATHS FROM PLAQUE. 

During the past ten years the 
deaths from plague in India are 
officially reported as follows: — 

1896 - 2,219 

1897 - 47 , 99 ! 

1898 -89,265 

1899 -102,369 

1900 - 73,57 6 

1901 -234,672 

1902 - 445,293 

1903 -201,893 

1904 -888,678 

1905 est. 1,300,000 

The increase from year to 
year is alarming. Unless effect¬ 
ive measures for controlling this 
plague are taken, it will not be 
long confined to India. Already 
it is a menace to the world. 


PESTILENCES. 


147 


any other disease, and may be communicated at any stage 
of its course. It spares no sex, condition, age, or national¬ 
ity. No one is safe from it except by virtue of having 
passed through its perils, although vaccination is proving 
quite an effective temporary safeguard. Smallpox appeared 
in Europe in the year 520. It is generally believed that 
the Saracens introduced smallpox into many parts of 
Europe in 770. 

In 1517 it was carried by adventurers to the West 
Indies. 

It reached Mexico in 1520, and Brazil in 1563. 

The last great epidemic in Europe and America began 
in 1870 and abated in 1873. 

YELLOW FEVER. 

Yellow fever is typhus in its nature. It is most preva¬ 
lent in a hot climate, and is especially virulent where 
sanitary conditions are disregarded. Frosts and a low 
temperature check its action; but the germs of the disease 
often lie dormant until the return of warm weather, and 
then come into fresh activity. For twenty-five consecutive 
years Philadelphia had its epidemic of yellow fever each 
summer, the germs remaining dormant during the winter. 

The first accurate account of the disease comes from 
the Barbadoes in 1647. 

It appeared in Charleston, South Carolina, and in 
Philadelphia, in 1793, and spread thence to New York 
and the ports of New England, as far north as New 
Hampshire. It has also prevailed during the present 
century in the Southern States and in other countries. 

CHOLERA. 

This is also a modern disease, for the attention of 
physicians was not called to it until the year 1817. At 
this time it broke out in British India, resulting in great 
loss of life to both Europeans and natives. During the 


148 


THE COMING KING. 


next three years it raged in Ceylon, spreading thence to 
China on the east and Persia on the west. 

In 1823 it prevailed in Asia Minor and Russia in 
Asia, and was very severe in India. 

In 1831-32 it reached England. The scourge next 
attacked France, Spain, and Italy, and finally crossed the 
Atlantic and invaded both North and Central America. 
In the course of twenty years the whole world was visited 
by the pestilence. 

The outbreak of 1847 covered a much wider area than 
that of 1832, Russia, the whole of the American continent, 
and the West Indies being solely smitten. 

The third outbreak, in 1850, originated in India, 
passed to Europe in 1853, and attacked the armies in the 
Crimea, especially at Sebastopol. 

* In 1865-66, a fourth, but less violent, visitation 
yielded to sanitary measures. 

Sudden slight outbreaks occur still in India, which 
seems to be the home of the pestilence. 

THE LAST PLAGUES. 

In the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of Revelation 
we read of seven terrible plagues which will visit the 
dwellers on this earth. These plagues immediately pre¬ 
cede the end of this dispensation; for with the seventh 
plague comes the last great earthquake which accompanies 
the appearance of Christ to this earth. See Revelation 16 : 
17-20; 6 :14-17. 

Seven angels have charge of these seven great calam¬ 
ities. “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon 
the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon 
the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them 
which worshiped his image. . . . And they gnawed their 
tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven 
because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of 
their deeds.” Revelation 16:2, 10, 11. 


pestilences. 


149 


This description seems to apply to some such pestilence 
as the “black plague,” but in an aggravated form. This 
plague does not cease when the next one follows; for in 
verses 10 and n it is spoken of as still doing its terrible 
work while the fifth plague is falling upon the earth. 

Truly there are terrible scenes yet to be enacted, and 
the pestilences and calamities which are becoming so fre¬ 
quent are but the forerunners of more awful events still 
before us. 

The time of “the Lord’s anger” is drawing near. 
His forbearance and mercy will spare a world in which 
wickedness is rife, until His people are all made up, and 
then the judgments of Jehovah will fall. To the righteous 
of this time the prophet appeals; “Seek ye the Lord, all 
ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; 
seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be 
hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” Zephaniah 2:3. 

By a careful reading of the sixteenth chapter of Revela¬ 
tion, it will be seen that the plagues there described are 
poured out upon the wicked alone.. See verses 2, 6, n. 

David tells of the condition of God’s people during this 
time of awful calamity. Speaking of the Lord, he says: 
“He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His 
wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and 
buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; 
nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence 
that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that 
wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, 
and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come 
nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and 
see the reward of the wicked.” Psalms 91:4-8. 

When the plagues of God were poured out on Egypt, 
the dwelling-place of the children of Israel was free from 
them. In this last great outpouring of the plagues of 
God’s wrath, the dwelling-places of His people will also 
be free, for the almighty God will spare and hide them. 
























m there shall he lam* 
iites, and pestilences, 
and earthquakes in 
divers places*” /flat* 
tbew 24:7♦ 


Earthquakes occur in direct fulfillment of our 
Saviour’s prophecy as quoted in this text. Like 
the other calamities which have come upon the 
earth, we may expect that they will become more 
frequent and destructive as we near the end. 
History informs us that such has been the case, 
as shown by the following significant and im¬ 
portant facts:— 

From B. C. 1700 to A. D. 96, a period of 1,796 
years, we read of only sixteen earthquakes, making 
an average of one in 112 years. 

From A. D. 96 to A. D. 1850, a period of 1,754 
years, about the same length of time as given in 
the first period, there were 204 earthquakes, giv¬ 
ing one to every eight years. 

From 1850 to 1865, a period of fifteen years, 
there were fifteen earthquakes, or one for each year. 

[151] 







152 


THE COMING KING. 



From 1865 to 1868, a period of three years, 
there were fifteen earthquakes, or an average of 
five for each year. 

Professor Fuchs states that in the 
year 1885 there occurred 97 earth¬ 
quakes, and that there were 104 dur¬ 
ing the year 1886. 

Chamber’s Encyclopedia says, “ It 
is estimated that 13,000,000 people 
have perished by earthquakes.” 

The Christian Statesman of July 
17, 1875, says: “The continual oc¬ 
curence and great severity of 
earthquakes have distinguished 
the period in which we are now 
living above all others, since the 
records of such a phenomena be¬ 
gan to be generally perceived.” 

D. T. Taylor, in “ The Com¬ 
ing Earthquake,” states that in 
the single year of 1868, over 100, 
000 persons perished by earth- 
wrech of cathedraiiower at q Ua k e s. In January, 1869, there 

Manila, Philippine Islands, - 1 J y 

>n earthquake, in 188Q. were eleven earthquakes, two of 
them great and destructive. 
Referring to the great earthquake of 1868, 
Zell’s Cyclopedia says that in the Sandwich 
Islands and on the west coast of South America, 
it was one of the most destructive recorded in 
history. From Callao to Iquique the whole coast 
of Peru was destroyed. Immense tidal waves 





EARTHQUAKES. 


J 53 


Table of Earth¬ 
quakes in the 
United States from 
1872 to 1885 . 


swept the coast. It is calculated that 30,000 per¬ 
sons perished in South America as a result of 
this earthquake. 

The catalogue of the British Society mentions 
more than 600 earthquakes between the years 
1606 and 1872. 

Several severe earthquakes, and 
many of less consequence, have been 
experienced in the United States, in¬ 
creasing in frequency. 

Among the most violent may be 
mentioned the one which occured in 
the years 1811-12, the facts in regard 
to which are taken from “ Great Events 
of the Greatest Century.” 

This earthquake was felt along the 
Mississippi River, from the mouth of 
the Ohio to that of the St. Francis, 
a distance of about three hundred 
miles. Thence it swept eastward, 
and died along the shores of the At¬ 
lantic. This may be described as a 
series of earthquakes; for the first 
shock was felt in December, 1811 and 
the last in February, 1812, thus cov¬ 
ering a period of over two months. 

The water of the Mississippi River, which was 
tolerably clear before, changed to a reddish hue 
from the mud thrown up from the bottom. Wide 
fissures opened along the shore, and, closing again, 
threw water and mud higher than the tops of 


1872 - 

1873- 

1874- 

1875- 

1876 - 

1877- 

1878- 


1879 — 10 

1880 - 29 

1881 - 52 

1882 - 41 

1883 - 89 

1884 - 42 

1885 - 51 

14 years, 453 
Average, 

82.4 per year. 




i 54 


THE COMING KING. 


the trees. Boatman pushed off from the shore 
to avoid the peril on the land, and many of them 
were overwhelmed in the surging, foaming wa¬ 
ters, which sometimes rose and fell several feet 



The Noted Earthquake at Lisbon, in 1765. 


This was the greatest earth¬ 
quake of which history gives 
any account. “It laid the 
city of kisbon in ruins, kill¬ 
ing 50,000 people in that city. 
It shook the whole Spanish 
coast, and demolished 2,000 
houses in Mitylene and the 
Archipelago, Property val¬ 
ued at more than $27,000,000 
was lost. This was followed 
by pestilence, which carried 
off more than 150,000 people 
in Constantinople.” 

See the encyclopedias fot 
the frightful record. 


and dry when they receded. 

Severe shocks have been felt 
in California, prominent among 
which were those of 1865 an d 1868, 
the latter being particularly de¬ 
structive. In San Francisco sev¬ 
eral buildings were thrown down, 
and many more made unsafe. The 
shock was also severe at Oakland, 








EARTHQUAKES. 


155 


San Leandro, San Jose, and Redwood City. It 
was felt with more or less severity in other parts 
of the State. 

A severe earthquake visited Charleston, S. C., 
in 1886, in which forty persons lost their lives, 
and $5,000,000 worth of property was destroyed. 

DISASTROUS EARTHQUAKES IN CALIFORNIA. 

There have been other earthquakes causing greater 
loss of life, but one of the most destructive to property 
ever known was the great California earthquake of April 
18, 1906. 

This earthquake was confined to the coast counties 
of Central California, with San Jose as the center of dis¬ 
turbance. The principal damage done by it was in Napa 
and Sonoma Valleys, north of San Francisco, and the 
Santa Clara, Pajaro, and Salinas Valleys, south of San 
Francisco, together with the hills of the Inner Coast 
Range, extending from San Francisco to Monterey. The 
principal cities and towns affected were San Francisco, 
Oakland, Santa Rosa, San Jose. The smaller towns of 
Santa Clara, Eos Gatos, Gilroy, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, 
Monterey, Watsonville, Pacific Grove, Salinas, Hollister, 
Redwood City, and Healdsburg also suffered severely. 

The damage to property in San Jose amounted to 
about five millions of dollars. Nineteen lives were lost 
in that city. At Agnew’s Asylum, a few miles to the 
north in the same county, no patients perished in the 
collapse of the buildings. 

Santa Rosa, a city of about ten thousand people, suf¬ 
fered severely. About fifty lives were lost, and the de¬ 
struction of property was very heavy, fire following the 
earthquake. 

In the Sonoma Valley nearly all the towns were de- 



1 Lining up for Rations. 2 Fire Scene Following Earthquake. 3 Wreck of City Hall. 

SAN FRANCISCO DURING THE FIRE AND AFTERWARD. 




















EARTHQUAKES. 


157 


stroyed. Not one building was left standing in Sebasto¬ 
pol. Eeland Stanford University at Palo Alto suffered 
severely, the damage being estimated at $4,000,000. 

The accompanying illustrations leave but little to be 
told of the power of the earthquake at this place. 

But the most terrible destruction both of life and prop¬ 
erty was at San Francisco, the metropolis of the State. 
As nearly as can be estimated, the property loss was $350,- 
000,000, while the loss of life has been placed at only 452. 
That it was not greater was owing, no doubt, to the 
fact that the earthquake occurred at an early hour in 
the morning, before the people were astir, and before 
the offices and business nouses in the down town sections, 
which suffered most severely from the earthquake, were 
occupied by the forces employed there. 

Mr. P. Barrett, one of the editors of the San Francisco 
Examiner , describes the earthquake and his experience 
therein as follows : — 

“ I have seen this whole great horror. I stood, with 
two other members of the Examiner staff, on the corner of 
Market Street, waiting for a car. . . . One of my compan¬ 
ions had told a funny story. We were laughing at it. 
We stopped — the laugh unfinished on our lips. 

“ Of a sudden we had found ourselves staggering and 
reeling. It was as if the earth was slipping gently under 
our feet. Then came a sickening swaying of the earth 
that threw us flat on our faces. We struggled in the 
street. We could not get on our feet. 

“ I looked in a dazed fashion around me. I saw for an 
instant the big buildings in a crazy dance. Then it 
seemed that my head was split with the roar that crashed 
into my ears. Big buildings were crumbling as one might 
crush a biscuit in one’s hand. Great gray clouds of dust 
shot up with flying timbers, and storms of masonry rained 
into the street. Wild, high, jangles of smashing glass cut 



1 View of Ruins. 


2 Portion of East Street. 3 James Flood Residence. 
4 Taking Bodies from the Ruins. 


SAN FRANCISCO AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE, 










































EARTHQUAKES. 


*59 


a sharp note into the frightful roaring. Ahead of me a 
great cornice cut a man as if he were a maggot — a laborer 
on his way to the Union Iron Works with a dinner pail 
on his arm. 

“ Everywhere men were on all-fours in the street, like 
crawling bugs. Still the sickening, dreadful swaying of 
the earth continued. It seemed a quarter of an hour be¬ 
fore it stopped. As a matter of fact, it lasted about three 
minutes. Footing grew firm again, but hardly were we on 
our feet before we were sent reeling again by repeated 
shocks, but they were milder. Clinging to something, one 
could stand. 

“ The dust clouds were gone. It was quite dark, like 
twilight. But I saw trolley tracks uprooted, twisted fan¬ 
tastically. I saw wide wounds in the street. Water 
flooded out of one of them. A deadly odor of gas swept 
out of another. Telegraph poles were rocked like matches. 
A wild tangle of wires was in the street. Some of the 
wires wriggled and shot out blue sparks. 

“ From the south of us, faint, but all too clear, came a 
horrible chorus of human cries of agony. Down there in 
a ramshackle section of the city the wretched houses had 
fallen in on the sleeping families. Down there through¬ 
out the day a fire burned the great part of whose fuel is 
too gruesome a thing to contemplate. 

“That was what came next — the fire. It shot up 
everywhere. The fierce wave of destruction had carried 
a flaming torch with it — agony, death, and a flaming 
torch. It was just as if some fire demon was rushing 
from place to place with such a torch.” 

A little different phase of this terrible catastrophe 
is described by Charles Morris, EE.D., in “ The San Fran¬ 
cisco Calamity,” as follows: — 

“On the 17th of April, 1906, the city was, as usual, 
gay, careless, busy, its people attending to business or 


11 



1 Agnew State Asylum. 2 New Library, Stanford University 
3 Gymnasium, Stanford University. 


RUINS AT AGNEW ASYLUM AND STANFORD UNIVERSITY. 













EARTHQUAKES. 


161 


pleasure with their ordinary vim, as inclination led them, 
and not a soul dreaming of the horrors that lay in wait. 
They were as heedless of coming peril and death as the 
inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah before the rain of fire 
from heaven descended upon their devoted heads. ... 

“ That night the people went, with their wonted equa¬ 
nimity, to their beds, rich and poor, sick and well alike. 
Did any of them dream of disaster in the air? It may 
be so, for often, as the poet tells us, ‘ coming events cast 
their shadows before.’ But, forewarned by dreams or not, 
doubtless not a soul in the great city was prepared for 
the terrible event so near at hand, when, at thirteen 
minutes past five o’clock on the dread morning of the 18th, 
they felt their beds lifted beneath them as if by a Titan 
hand, heard the crash of falling walls and ceilings, and saw 
everything in their rooms tossed madly about, while 
through their windows came the roar of an awful disas¬ 
ter from the city without. 

“It was a matter not of minutes, but of seconds, 
yet on all that coast, long the prey of the earthquake, 
no shock like it had ever been felt, no such sudden terror 
awakened, no such terrible loss occasioned as in those 
few fearful seconds. Again and again the trembling of 
the earth passed by, three quickly repeated shocks, and the 
work of the demon of ruin was done. People awoke with 
a start to find themselves flung from their beds to the floor, 
many of them covered with the fragments of broken ceil¬ 
ings, many lost among the ruins of falling floors and walls, 
many pinned in agonizing suffering under the ruins of 
their houses, which had been utterly wrecked in those fatal 
seconds. Many there were, indeed, who had been flung to 
quick if not to instant death under their ruined homes. 

‘ ‘ Those seconds of the -reign of the elemental forces 
had turned the gayest, most careless city on the continent 
into a wreck which no words can fitly describe. Those 



1 San Jose Hotel. 2 San Jose Hotel Annex. 3 Pacific Press Building,Mountain View. 
4 Post Office, Mountain View. 5 Santa Rosa Hotel. 


RUINS AT SAN JOSE, MOUNTAIN VIEW, AND SANTA ROSA 
























































EARTHQUAKES. 


163 


able to move stumbled in wild panic across the floors of 
their heaving houses, regardless of clothing, of treasures, 
of everything but the mad instinct for safety, and rushed 
headlong into the streets, to find that the earth itself 
had yielded to the energy of its frightful interior forces, 
and had in places been torn and rent like the houses 
themselves. New terrors assailed the fugitives as fresh 
tremors shook the solid ground, some of them strong 
enough to bring down shattered walls and chimneys, 
and bring back much of the mad terror of the first fearful 
quake. The heaviest of these came at eight o’clock. 
While less forcible than that which had caused the work of 
destruction, it added immensely to the panic and dread 
of the people, and put many of the wanderers to flight, 
some toward the ferry, the great mass in the direction 
of the sand dunes and Golden Gate Park.” 

‘ ‘ The earthquake proved but the beginning and much 
the least destructive part of the disaster. In many of the 
buildings there were fires, banked for the night, but ready 
to kindle the inflammable material hurled down upon them 
by the shock. In others were live electric wires which the 
shock brought in contact with woodwork. The terror- 
stricken fugitives saw, here and there, in all directions 
around them, the alarming vision of red flames curling 
upward and outward, in gleaming contrast to the white 
light of dawn just showing in the eastern sky. Those 
lurid gleams climbed upward in devouring haste, and be¬ 
fore the sun had fairly risen a dozen or more conflagrations 
were visible in all sections of the business part of the city, 
and in places great buildings broke with startling sudden¬ 
ness into flame, which shot hotly high into the air.” 

For three days the fire raged, and not until late 
Friday night was it brought under control. The water 
mains had been broken. Hence it was impossible to fight 
the fire in the usual way. In this emergency dynamite 
was used, and scores of buildings were destroyed in order 


164 


THE COMING KING. 


to check the rapid progress of the flames, but not until an 
area approximately four miles square had been burned 
over, being practically the entire business part of San 
Francisco, together with many residences, including the 
homes of the millionaires on Nob Hill. 

“San Francisco’s famous Chinatown, the greatest 
settlement of the Celestials on this continent, went down 
like a- house of cards. When the earthquake had passed 
this den of squalor and infamy was no more. The Chi¬ 
nese theatres and joss-houses tumbled into ruins, rookery 
after rookery collapsed, and hundreds of their inhabitants 
were buried alive. Panic reigned supreme among the 
fugitives, who filled the streets in frightened multitudes, 
dragging from the wreck whatever they could save of their 
treasured possessions. Much the same was the case with 
the Japanese quarter, which fire quickly invaded, the 
people fleeing in terror, carrying on their backs what few 
of their household effects they were able to rescue. 

“As for the people of Chinatown, however, no one 
knows or will ever know the extent of the dread fate 
that overcame them, for no one knows the secrets of that 
dark abode of infamy and crime, whose inhabitants bur¬ 
rowed underground like so many ants, and hid their se¬ 
crets deep in the earth.” 

“W. W. Overton, of Eos Angeles, thus describes the 
Chinatown dens and the revelations made by the earth¬ 
quake and the flames : — 

“ ‘ Strange is the scene where San Francisco’s China¬ 
town stood. No heap of smoking ruins marks the site of 
the wooden warrens where the Orientals dwelt in thou¬ 
sands. Only a cavern remains, pitted with deep holes and 
lined with dark passageways, from whose depths come 
smoke wreaths. White men never knew the depth of 
Chinatown’s underground city. Many had gone beneath 
the street level two and three stories, but now that the 
place had been unmasked, men may see where its inner 


EARTHQUAKES. 165 

secrets lay. In places one can see passages a hundred 
feet deep. 

“ ‘ The fire swept this Mongolian quarter clean. It 
left no shred of the painted wooden fabric. It ate down 
to the bare ground, and this lies stark, for the breezes 
have taken away the light ashes. Joss houses and mis¬ 
sion schools, groceries and opium dens, gambling resorts 
and theatres, all of them went. These buildings blazed up 
like tissue paper. 

“ ‘ I saw hundreds of crazed yellow men flee,’ says 
another writer. ‘ In their arms they bore opium pipes, 
money bags, silks, and children. Beside them ran the 
trousered women, and some hobbled painfully. These 
were the men and women of the surface. Far beneath 
the street levels in those cellars and passageways were 
other lives. Women, who never saw the day from their 
darkened prisons, and their blinking jailors were caught 
and eaten by the flames.’ ” 

“ On Portsmouth Square the panic was indescribable. 
This old tree plaza, about which the early city was built, 
is now in the center of Chinatown, of the Italian district 
and of the ‘Barbary Coast,’ the ‘Tenderloin’ of the 
Western metropolis. It is the chief slum district of the 
city. The tremor here ran up the Chinatown hill and 
shook down part of the crazy buildings on its southern 
edge. It brought ruin also to some of the Italian tene¬ 
ments. Portsmouth Square became the refuge of the terri¬ 
fied inhabitants. Out from their underground burrows 
like so many rats fled the Chinese, trembling in terror into 
the square, and seeking, by beating gongs and other noise¬ 
making instruments, to scare off the underground demons. 
Into the square from the other side came the Italian refu¬ 
gees. The panic became a madness, knives were drawn in 
the insanity of the moment, and two Chinamen were taken 
to the morgue, stabbed to*death for no other reason than 
pure madness. Here on one side dwelt 20,000 Chinese, 


THE COMING KING. 



Valparaiso, Destroyed by Earthquake. 


and on the other thousands of Italians, Spaniards, and 
Mexicans, while close at hand lived the riff-raff of the 
‘Barbary Coast.’ 

“ Seemingly the whole of these rushed for that one 
square of open ground, the two streams meeting in the 
centre of the square, and heaping up on its edges. There 
they squabbled and fought in the madness of panic and de¬ 
spair, as so many mad wolves might have fought when 
caught in the red whirl of a prairie fire, until the soldiers 
broke in, and, at the bayonet’s point, brought some sem¬ 
blance of order out of the confusion of panic and terror.” 


EARTHQUAKE IN CHILI. 


While the shock of San Francisco’s disaster was still 
fresh in the public memory, cable dispatches from Chili re¬ 
ported that a similar catastrophe had befallen Valparaiso, a 
city of 160,000 inhabitants, and the most flourishing port 
of Western South America. According to a dispatch to 
the New York Herald , there were two distinct and ter¬ 
rific shocks, the second following almost 
instantly after the first, and completing 
the work of destruction. At eight 
o’clock the whole city seemed 
suddenly to swing backward. 















EARTHQUAKES. 


167 


and forward, and then came a sudden jolt of such mighty 
force that rows of buildings toppled to the earth as if 
made of brittle plaster. Whole rows of buildings went 
down in a few seconds. 

At Valparaiso the rumble of the first two shocks lasted 
about three minutes. Then followed four other shocks in 
quick succession. The electric lights went out, the gas 
mains were broken, but the frightened people could see in 
the dusk the massive stone walls of the houses swaying 
and lurching like ships in a heavy sea. One edifice after 
another caved in, burying many of their occupants who 
had been unable to make their way to the streets. Fires 
started in various parts of the city, until it appeared from 
the harbor like a seething furnace, the ruins standing 
up blackly against the red glare. In a short time the 
entire business district of the city was in ruins. The 
water front began to sink, carrying down with it the stone 
docks and great 
warehouses that 
marked the 
commercial im¬ 
portance of Val¬ 
paraiso. 

Santiago and 
other smaller 
cities also suf¬ 
fered severely 
from this same 
earthquake. It 
is estimated 
that a thou¬ 
sand lives were lost in Valparaiso and Santiago, and that 
the money loss would exceed $250,000,000, a much larger 
sum in proportion to the ability of the people to bear it 
than the loss suffered in San Francisco. 



Quillotta, Now Destroyed. 














i68 


THE COMING KING. 


The editor of a religious weekly paper published in the 
heart of the earthquake district, says: — 

‘ ‘ These are days when the world has nearly forgotten 
God. . . . God has not forgotten those who have for¬ 
gotten Him. He is endeavoring to bring the world to its 
senses, and to teach men the lesson upon which their 
eternal welfare depends.” 

‘ ‘ These destructive agencies are becoming alarmingly 
active, and the fact should cause sober reflections in the 
minds of thinking people. The Word of God will throw 
light on the situation to those who seek light from that 
source. It is the hour of God’s judgment. The divine 
judgments are in the land, and the work of judgment must 
become more and more marked until the climax of God’s 
controversy with sin in the earth is reached, and the day 
comes of the visible appearing of the Son of man in the 
clouds of heaven with His angels, to reap the harvest of 
the earth.” 

Certainly there is in all this something very suggestive 
of the words of the prophet: — 

“ The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean 
dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth 
shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed 
like a cottage ; . . . and it shall fall, and not rise again. 
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the L,ord shall 
punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the 
kings of the earth upon the earth. . . . Then the moon 
shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Eord 
of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and 
before His ancients gloriously.” Isa. 24: 19-23. 


The editor of the New York Witness , writes: — 

“ It is not pleasant writing to recount the horrors that 
have come upon the human race; yet there are times when 
it is in order, and now appears to me to be the occasion. 

‘ ‘ The terrible catastrophe in California is upon the lips 



EARTHQUAKES. 


169 

of most people. It will be a seven days wonder, and will 
then give way in the minds of the people at large to some 
other strange occurrence.” 


Jesus says: “All these things are the beginning of 
sorrows.” 

The sure word of prophecy informs us that just before 
the coming of our Lord-from heaven, there will be an 
earthquake more awful than any that has been experi¬ 
enced since the ‘ ‘ fountains of the great deep were broken 
up ” at the flood. In this calamity the whole earth will be 
involved. “The foundations of the earth do shake. The 
earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, 
the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to 
and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a 
cottage.” Isaiah 24 : 18-20. 

The apostle-prophet John says of this earthquake: 
“ There was a great earthquake, such as was not since men 
were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so 
great.” “ And every island fled away ; and the mountains 
were not found.” Revelation 16 : 18, 20. 

Very many texts in the Bible refer to this terrific 
convulsion which takes place in connection with the great 
day. Here is one passage: “The Lord also shall roar 
out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem ; and the 
heavens and the earth shall shake : but the Lord will be 
the hope of His people, and the strength of the children 
of Israel.” Joel 3:16. On this point read carefully 
Ezekiel 39 : 19, 20. 

May we have made our peace with God so that we may 
be “hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” May ours 
be the experience foretold by David of this time: “A 
thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy 
right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with 
thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the 
wicked.” Psalms 91 : 7, 8. 




In connection with the consideration of earth¬ 
quakes, we can very appropriately present the 
matter of the ever increasing volcanic action, now 
becoming so pronounced as to be the subject of 
careful and continuous scientific inquiry. 

Peter, speaking of the scoffers that should arise 
in the latter days, deriding the argument that the 
end of the world is drawing nigh, says: “For 
this they are willingly ignorant of, that by the 
Word of God the heavens were of old, and the 
earth standing out of the water and in the water, 
whereby the world that then was, being overflowed 
[170] 

















VOLCANOES. 


171 

with water perished. But the heavens and the 
earth which are now, by the same Word are 
kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day 
of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 
2 Peter 3:5-7. 

We, therefore, gather from this statement that 
as the earth was once destroyed by water, it is 
now reserved unto fire. 

In the account of the destruction of the earth 
by water, we are told that “the fountains of the 
great deep were broken up, and the windows of 
heaven were opened.” Genesis 7. 

Not only did rain descend from above, but the 
waters stored in the bowels of the earth burst forth, 
thus adding to the terrible force of the deluge 
and completely changing the face of nature. 

This destruction by water is used by the apos¬ 
tle as a symbol of the impending destruction by 
fire; which the Word of God assures us is cer¬ 
tainly coming. Therefore we must believe that 
the Lord will not only rain fire from heaven, even 
as He did upon Sodom and Gomorrah, but fires 
will also burst forth from the interior of the earth. 

Something of this kind would seem to be fore¬ 
shadowed by Isaiah 34:9: “The streams thereof 
shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof 
into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become 
burning pitch.” The previous verse declares 
that this is a description of “the day of the 
Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses 
for the controvers}' of Zion.” 


THE COMING KING. 


172 


VESUVIUS. 

In Southern Italy, ten miles E. S. E. from the City 
of Naples, stands the huge volcano mountain known as 
Mt. Vesuvius, rising 2,300 feet above the level of the 
sea, with, formerly, a cone 1,900 feet tall, giving a total 
height of 4,200 feet above sea level. 

During medieval times, Vesuvius was looked upon as 
being the “opening of hell.” It had been in eruption 
in A. d. 63, which is the first record we have of this 
volcano. But as time passed the mountain became again 
clothed with a carpet of green, stately trees grew on its 
sides and crowned its summit, while pretty villages and 
beautiful cities clustered at its base. No one dreamed 
of danger from the volcano. The peasantry called it 
their Protector. 

In A. d. 79, without warning, steam, smoke, and fire 
burst from Vesuvius. Enormous quantities of ashes and 
other material were thrown high intq the air, spreading 
out like a vast pall, and continuing for eight days and 
nights. The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were 
slowly smothered out of sight. Pompeii was buried 
under dry scoria, but Herculaneum under a layer of mud 
and lava, which dried like rock. It was long supposed 
that when the eruption occurred the people of Pompeii 
were in the theatre, but excavations show this to be an 
error, and it is conjectured that the people escaped, and 
that the loss of life was small. 

Another eruption occurred in a. d. 223, another in 
A. D. 473, and nine others from that time on to A. d. 
1500. Since the last date there have been many erup¬ 
tions with serious results. 

Notwithstanding all the warnings of the past and the 
awful records of death and destruction the people pos¬ 
sessed through the City of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the 
several villages which lie buried beneath tons of scoria 


VOLCANOES. 


173 


and lava, monuments to the awful destructive latent 
power of the volcano, the people still crowded around the 
base of the “mouth of hell,” and the villages of Portico, 
Revina, Torre del Greco, and Torre del Annunziata, with 
a large population, took the place of the former, the 
danger all forgotten. 

In 1902, when the eruption of Mt. Pelee occurred, 
notes of warning were heard from Vesuvius, and again 
in February, 1906. In April lava began to flow down 
its sides, and the people in the pretty villages at its base, 
awoke from their dream of security, to find themselves 
face to face with death in a horrible form. 

Down came the ashes in ever increasing quantities, 
darkening the sky and filling the air with suffocating 
fumes, while lava streams swept on and on towards the 
doomed villages, and the City of Bosco Trecase with 
its 10,000 inhabitants. The terrified people hastily evac¬ 
uated their homes and fled. On Saturday, the 7th, the 
city was destroyed. 

The great loss of life in the destruction of Bosco 
Trecase and Ottajan was due to the vast fall of ashes 
crushing in the roofs of the houses. It is estimated that 
fully 5,000 houses were destroyed in this way, many of 
the people being buried with them. Another sickening 
scene of horror was seen at San Guiseppe, when the roof 
of the market house caved in from the weight of ashes 
upon it, burying some 200 persons in the ruins. 

The total estimated loss of life in this last eruption 
of Vesuvius is placed at 2,000 persons, and the loss in 
property at not less than $20,000,000. 

THE MOUNT PELEE DISASTER. 

One of the most terrible disasters due to volcanic 
eruption occurred May 12, 1902, by the sudden bursting 
asunder of Mount Pelee, on the Island of Martinique, 
Windward Islands. Between this mountain and the bay 


*74 


THE COMING KING. 



was St. Pierre, a city of 30,000 inhabitants. No one 
actually in the city at the time of the disaster was left 
to describe the horror of the scene. Thirty thousand 
souls were in a moment ushered into eternity, overtaken 
by the destroyer, some in their quiet homes, some in the 
marts of the business quarters, and some — alas, in the 
haunts of vice. 

Many of the descriptions of this scene, though vivid, 
and doubtless accurate as far as they go, fail of men- 


Volcanic Eruption of Mt. Pelee, St. Pierre, Martinique , May 12, 1902. 

tioning one important feature of the Mt. Pelee disaster, 
namely, the combustible gases, which coming out of the 
mountain spread over the city and bay, enveloping in 
their deadly embrace both city and shipping. 

THE ELEMENTS SHALL MELT. 

The account of the spread of destructive gases at the 
eruption of Pelee is most suggestive of .the time foretold 
by the Apostle Peter (2 Peter 3 :10), when “The heavens 
shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall 
melt with fervent heat.” 








VOLCANOES. 


175 


While not so intended by their authors, many of the 
accounts of the destruction of St. Pierre are very sug¬ 
gestive of — 

“That day to holy inspiration known, 

When earth with fervent, glowing heat shall melt., 

And works of boastful men shall perish all 
As withered flower of the summer field 
Into the over-heated oven cast.” 

Of the condition of the earth after and following this 
time, the prophet says: — 

“From generation to generation shall it lie waste. 
. . . He shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, 
and the stones of emptiness.” Isaiah 34:10, 11. 

Who can read these things (and many similar ac¬ 
counts of disasters might be given did space permit), and 
doubt that by these visitations, whether directly sent or 
merely permitted, God would warn the world of that day 
when every island shall flee away, and the mountains 
shall not be found, and when there shall fall upon men 
a great hail, every stone about the “weight of a talent?” 
Revelation 16:20, 21. 

Who can hear of, and read about, these awful ca¬ 
lamities, and not realize that God is, in mercy, warning 
all to flee from the wrath to come, while yet probation 
shall be extended to them? 


12 


A 



wind fulfilling Ibis word*” ipsalms 
148: 8* 44 and there shall be sips in the sun, 
and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon 
the earth distress ot nations, with perplexity; the sea and the 
waves roaring.” Huhe 21: 25* 


Along with the other calamities which are com¬ 
ing upon the earth as the “ day of the Lord ” is 
near, we may naturally expect, according to the 
prophecy, to hear of disastrous storms by land and 
sea. We have only to look at the long list of ter¬ 
rible tornadoes and the awful tidal waves, as re¬ 
ported in the public press from time to time, to see 
that we are already in a period of disaster from 
these causes, such as the history of the world has 
never before known. 

CYCLONES. 

T. De Witt Talmage, in a sermon on the “Wonders 
of the Day,” delivered in 1883, said: — 

“But look at the cyclones—the disastrous cyclones. 
At the mouth of the Ganges are three islands,— the Hat- 
tia, the Sundeep, and the- Decan Shahbaspoor. In the 
[ 176 ] 



STORMS AND TIDAL WAVES. 177 

midnight of October, 1876, the cry on all those three 
islands was, ‘ The waters ! the waters ! ’ A cyclone arose 
and rolled the sea over those three islands, and of a popu¬ 
lation of 340,000, 215,000 were drowned, only those being 
saved who had climbed to the tops of the highest trees. 
Did you ever see a cyclone ? No ? I pray God you may 
never see one. 

“ But a few weeks ago I was in Minnesota, where there 
was one of those cyclones on land, that swept the city of 
Rochester from its foundations, and took dwelling-houses, 
barns, men, women, children, horses, and cattle, and tossed 
them into indiscriminate ruin. It lifted a railtrain, and 
dashed it dowh, v a mightier hand than that of the engi¬ 
neer on the air-brake. Cyclone in Kansas within a few 
months, cyclone in Missouri, cyclone in Wisconsin, cyclone 
in Illinois, cyclone in Iowa. Satan, prince of the power of 
the air, never made such cyclonic disturbances as he has in 
our day. And am I not right in saying that one of the 
characteristics of the time in which we live is disasters 
cyclonic ? * ’ 

Satan is “ the prince of the power of the air.” Ephe¬ 
sians 2:2. He delights to bring calamity upon the earth. 
His efforts in this direction will be much greater, and 
the destruction more awful, as we near the end. John 
says of this: “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and 
of the sea ! for the devil is come down unto you, having 
great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short 
time.” Revelation 12 : 12. 

So long as God has a work to do on the earth, and 
a people to gather from among its nations, the wrath of 
Satan will be restrained. But Paul says that the people 
living in the last days “shall wax worse and worse.” 
As man rejects God, His Spirit and restraining power 
are withdrawn from the earth, and Satan will have more 
power to work his own wicked will. 

This principle is brought out in the history of Job. So 


i ;8 


THE COMING KING. 


long as God protected Job, the devil found that he had 
“ made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about 
all that he hath on every side.” Job i : io. But when the 
Lord removed His protection, and allowed Satan to work 
his will upon Job, he marshaled his servants to destroy Job 
and all that he had. And these servants of Satan, which 
were at his call, were not only the wicked bands of the 
Sabeans and the Chaldeans, but also the fire from heaven, 
and the wind from the wilderness. 

We little realize what we owe to God for the protection 
he has given us all our lives. When this protection is 
finally and fully removed, as it soon will be, then Satan 
will bring upon this earth the direst calamities. Already 
he has begun his work, and the world stands appalled at 
the awful havoc wrought. 

TIDAL WAVES. 

The tidal waves which have swept over different parts 
of the earth seem, if possible, more terrible than the cy¬ 
clone. These are becoming quite frequent. 

One of them in the South Pacific is thus described 
by a British vice-consul: — 

‘ ‘ What a sight! I saw all the vessels in the bay 
carried out irresistably to sea; anchors and chains were 
as packthread. In a few minutes the great outward 
current stopped, stemmed by a mighty rising wave, I 
should judge about fifty feet high, which came with an 
awful rush , carrying everything before it in its terrible 
majesty, bringing the shipping with it, sometimes turning 
in circles, as if striving to elude their fate.” 

Speaking of these disturbances, and the extent of their 
influence, the New York Tribune, of Nov. 12, 1868, 
says:— 

‘ ‘ The tidal disturbances are the most remarkable and 
extensive of which there is any record. It is said their 
velocity was about a thousajid miles an hour. The great 


STORMS AND TIDAL WAVES. 


179 


ocean waters of both the Atlantic and the Pacific have 
been agitated in their whole extent. We mention in 
particular the tidal waves at St. Thomas, and all the neigh¬ 
boring islands, which were fully fifty feet in height. It is 
said by those who have witnessed these waves that the 
ocean’s roar is exceedingly frightful .” 

God’s word points out another great storm which will 
break in its fury upon the earth: ‘ ‘ And there fell upon 
men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the 
weight of a talent [about 100 pounds] : and men blas¬ 
phemed God because of the plague of the hail.” 

This is the last of the ‘ ‘ seven last plagues ’ ’ that are to 
be visited upon the dwellers of earth. “And then shall 
appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then 
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, when they shall 
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with 
power and great glory.” Matthew 24: 30. 

CYCLONE AT ST. LOUIS, MO., MAY 27, 1896. 

Among the most disastrous storms of a cyclonic 
nature which ever visited the United States was the one 
which swept over the city of St. Louis, Mo., May 27, 
1896. Previous to this time, St. Louis had singularly 
been spared, although cyclones and tornadoes had devas¬ 
tated neighboring towns and cities. Some great storms 
cause comparatively little loss of life and property, be¬ 
cause they visit a thinly inhabited district, but when a 
cyclone strikes a large city, the effects are most disas¬ 
trous, both in loss of life and destruction of property. 
These two conditions were fully met in the cyclone which 
swept over St. Louis. 

The storm approached in two successive waves, as 
though they were parts of a mighty army under control 
of one commander, the second wave exceeding in inten¬ 
sity of force and in destructive power the one preceeding 
it. As an army is marshaled by a determined general, 
and charge after charge is made until the field is carried, 


i8o 


THE COMING KING. 



Lafayette Parh Presbyterian Church. 


so the storm clouds of wind filled with electrical energy 
were twice hurled upon the fair city, leaving it at last 
with more than two hundred human lives crushed out, 
and fifty million dollars’ worth of property destroyed. 

First came' a hurricane, 
accompanied by a mighty 
downpour of rain lasting 
twenty minutes, flooding the 
streets and cellars. There 
was an interval 
of a few min¬ 
utes of rest, as 
though the at¬ 
tacking army 
was being re¬ 
inforced, and 
then followed 
a terrific tornado, lasting but a few minutes, but during 
that short time the city was so changed that it was 
hardly recognizable. The trees in the parks were swept 
away like grass before the mower’s scythe, one park 
having only six trees left. The strongly built and 
palatial residences of the wealthy were tom in pieces the 
same as the tenements of the poorer people. School 
houses, hospitals, churches, railway stations, manufac¬ 
turing establishments, — everything alike was torn, 
wrecked, unroofed, or demolished, and all drenched with 
blinding streams of water which came down as though 
the very windows of heaven were opened. • If anything 
was passed by comparatively unharmed, it seemed to be 
more like a freak of some malevolent spirit than a lack 
of power to destroy. 

The scene in its awful grandeur, and in the uni¬ 
versal terror which it inspired, was such as falls to the 
lot of few persons in this world to see. The air was 








STORMS AND TIDAL WAVES. 


181 


full of flying debris of all kinds. Objects weighing tons 
were hurled through the air apparently as easily as those 
weighing but a few pounds. The streets were blocked to 
travel, and a network of tangled wires from the fallen 
telegraph and telephone poles was spread over all. 

Fire broke out in many places, and as the firemen 
were powerless to help, nothing but the rain which fell 
in torrents saved 
the city from entire 
destruction. The 
boats and river craft 
of all kinds, ex¬ 
posed to the fury of 
the blast, were dis- 
manteled, over¬ 
turned, and sunk, 
carrying their crews 
down into a watery 
grave. The terrible 
force of the wind 
may be seen in the 
fact that the eastern 
approach to the 
great Kads Bridge, a structure of stone and steel intended 
to last for all time, was wrecked by the storm, the steel 
railings being blown entirely away. 

No tongue can tell, no pen record, the terrors of 
those few minutes and the night of horror that followed. 
The dead were everywhere. The wounded, many of 
them covered by fallen buildings or held down by timbers 
and other debris , cried piteously for help. Distracted 
people sought for their friends. The mourning for the 
dead and the joy of reunited families were often strangely 
mingled. 

When the next morning dawned, the city presented 
such a picture of devastation exceeding anything possibly 



The Storm at Eads Bridge. 



i 82 


THE COMING KING. 


ever recorded, concerning any other one from a like cause. 
In East St. Eouis one hundred persons were killed. In 
this case, as in many others, we see the “stormy wind 
fulfilling His word,” and we may hope and trust that, 
when the judgments of God are in the earth, the in¬ 
habitants of the world will learn righteousness. See 
Isaiah 26 : 9. 

CYCLONE AT BRADSHAW, NEB., JUNE 13, 1890. 

As an illustration of the cyclones which so frequently 
visit some sections of the United States, one which occurred 



June 13, 1890, by which the village of Bradshaw, Neb., 
was destroyed, may be noted. It was at evening of a 
day of intense heat, and not a breath of wind was stirring. 
With scarcely a moment’s warning there came a blast of 
cold air, followed by a deluge of hail, and then the cyclone. 
It struck the earth three miles south-west of the village, 
traveled north-east, and lifted three miles beyond the 














STORMS AND TIDAL WAVES. 


183 

village. The town was a complete wreck, only three 
buildings remained standing in the village of four hundred 
and fifty inhabitants. The track of this cyclone was about 
one-fourth of a mile wide. Almost all the live stock and 
poultry in its track were killed, and it seemed a remarkable 
interposition of divine Providence that in the midst of 
this terrible destruction only one person was killed outright 
and but three fatally injured. 



TIDAL WAVE IN JAPAN, 

JUNE 15, 1896. 

The island empire of Japan is 
often subjected to earthquakes, 
which are generally accompanied 
with tidal waves, and as there is a 
large amount of coast line, with 
many small and low-lying islands, 
all densely populated, the loss of life 
from these causes is often very great. 
The whole group of the Japanese 
islands is of seismic origin, and the 
mighty internal force which gave the 
islands existence still operates in a 
way to bring great calamities upon 
the people. In 1882 the sea washed 


Removing 

the Dead at 

Shizuhaui. 



























184 


THE COMING KING. 


away whole towns, and thousands of persons were de¬ 
stroyed. But the crowning disaster to Japan in modern 
times was experienced June 15, 1896. The seismic wave 
struck the coast in its greatest force at the town of 
Kamaishi, about three hundred miles north of Tokyo. 
Thirty miles of coast line were swept by the mighty wave, 
and for this distance all signs of human habitation were 
destroyed as far inland as the wave extended. 

The buildings of the Japanese are generally frail, and 
hence offer little resistance to the impetuous wave. Thirty 
thousand persons perished at this time. The retiring wave 
carried some of the dead out to sea, but the larger part 
remained, covered or uncovered, leaving for the authorities 
the necessary but gruesome task of gathering up the bodies 
to bury them. An eye witness of the scene describes it 
as “hopelessly and unutterably horrible.’’ Coolies were 
hunting through the debris for the dead bodies, stimulated 
to greater exertions by the hope of reward. Recovered 
bodies of the dead were arranged in long rows for identi¬ 
fication. Great flocks of crows, drawn thither by the 
stench, hovered near and feasted with little interruption 
upon the bodies of the dead. 

Such scenes are not at all uncommon in Japan, and 
it would seem that the sea is hurled against the land 
with increasing frequency, wreaking desolation on the 
utterly helpless people. Poverty compels the survivors 
to rebuild in the same places. 

HURRICANE AND TIDAL WAVE AT GALVESTON, TEXAS. 

Galveston is the chief Gulf city of the Southwest. It 
is situated on an island twenty-seven miles long, and from 
one and one-fourth to seven miles in width, and only six 
feet above sea level. Its population at the time of the 
awful visitation was 37,798. 

There had been provided on the Gulf side two stone 
breakwaters, but the time came when these proved entirely 



STORMS AND TIDAL . WAVES. 185 

inadequate to protect the city from the fury of the sea. 

Toward evening of the 8th of September, 1900, a tide 
of five feet brought the waters of the Gulf within one foot 
of the surface of the islandr. This was followed by a 
hurricane in which it is estimated that the wind attained 
a velocity of 120 miles an hour, the wind gauge breaking 
as it recorded a velocity of 100 miles, before the storm had 


After the Galueston Hurricane and 'iidal Wave. 

reached its height. As a result a tidal wave swept the 
island to a depth of from six to eight feet. The fury of 
the waves, accompanied by the great velocity of the wind, 
made it impossible for any ordinary structure to stand 
before it. House after house fell with a crash into the 
boiling flood. 

On the south side of the island were located the man¬ 
sions of the wealthy, one alone having cost over a million 
dollars. “All of these were swept so clean from their 
foundations that nothing but bare, white sand was left.” 




THE COMING KING. 


186 

No record was ever available as to the fate of the dwel¬ 
lers. 

Most of the residences of Galveston were wooden struc¬ 
tures, and were mere playthings in the track of the storm, 
while buildings composed of brick and stone crumbled to 
pieces in the angry waters. 

Thus in the course of a few hours the once rich and 
beautiful city was reduced to a heap of ruins. Scarcely a 
house in the entire place escaped injury or destruction. 

No record will ever be made of the dead of Galveston. 
The most reliable estimates place # the number at between 
eight and ten thousand. For weeks after the storm the 
dead were found scattered over a wide area. Those who 
were carried out to sea were thrown up again by the waves 
to be buried by the living. Two and one-half months after 
the storm a corps of United States surveyors found one 
hundred dead bodies in a swamp on the island west of 
the city. 

The loss of property can never be known. An esti¬ 
mate of $50,000,000 is considered conservative. 

A new city has sprung up in the place of the old, 
and everything that mechanical engineering can do in the 
way of providing an adequate sea wall and raising the level 
of the city, has been done. The protection is now consid¬ 
ered ample, but even the strongest wall must fail “when 
the Lord arises to shake terribly the earth.” 

TYPHOON AT HONGKONG. 

Up to about forty years ago there were certain winds 
in the tropics which blew so steadily, and with such cer¬ 
tainty, six months of a year from one direction, and, after 
six months from the opposite direction, that owners and 
captains of vessels relied upon them to carry their ships 
quickly through the “doldrums,” or becalmed regions 
near the equator, and figured upon coming under their 
influence on reaching certain degrees of latitude and longi- 


STORMS AND TIDAL, WAVES. 1 87 

tude, and being carried by them rapidly north or south 
a certain number of degrees, within given lengths of time. 
Basing their calculations on the time it would take to 
traverse the ocean, they would fix their freight charges 
accordingly. Hence these favorable winds were called 
“trade winds.” 

But some forty years ago these winds became fickle and 
uncertain. Instead of being met within certain degrees of 
latitude, often they would be found far to the north or 
south, and generally light and unreliable. Frequently a 
captain would fail to meet with them altogether, and his 
voyage would be so prolonged as to become unprofitable. 

About the time these winds began to fail and become 
uncertain, the great “typhoons” met with at certain 
seasons of the year in the China Sea, also showed symp¬ 
toms of failing. Formerly it used to be rare for a captain 
to sail this sea and escape contact with these destructive 
winds which sweep over the water often with resistless 
force. 

But it must not be supposed that typhoons belong 
entirely to the past. “To the year’s [1906’s] list of 
staggering calamities,” remarks the Literary Digest, “due 
to sudden and unforeseen manifestations of natural forces 
— a list already somber enough with its records, of earth¬ 
quake at San Francisco and at Valparaiso — must be 
added the death-dealing typhoon which swept down upon 
Hongkong with mysterious suddenness on September 18. 
A despatch from that city states that the storm ‘was of 
a local nature,’ and that it came without warning, the 
observatory having predicted only moderate winds. 

‘ ‘ Although it lasted only two hours it sank a fishing 
fleet of 600 junks, destroyed nearly all the native shipping 
in the harbor, and wrought havoc among the docks and 
buildings of the water-front. Estimates place the loss of 
life among the Chinese alone at 10,000, and it is said 
that $20,000,000 would not cover the value of the prop¬ 
erty destroyed. 


i88 


THE COMING KING. 


“The foreign shipping which frequents the harbor 
seems to have suffered less; nevertheless, many steamers, 
among them a British gun-boat and a French torpedo- 
boat destroyer, were sunk or driven ashore. The loss is 
also reported of the American gun-boat Helena , with eight 
officers and a crew of 175 men.” 



Steamship " Monteagle " Ashore. Steamship "Petrarch," High on the Sea Wail. 

TYPHOON AT HONGKONG. 


It is stated that during a typhoon the wind sometimes 
reaches a velocity of from 200 to 300 miles an hour. 

While typhoons are less frequent in the China Sea 
than formerly it must not be supposed that that quarter 
of the earth has become more pacific. With the falling 
off in frequency of typhoons upon the sea tornadoes 
began to appear upon the land. 


















189 



STORMS AND TIDAL WAVES. 

HURRICANE AND TIDAL WAVE AT PENSACOLA. 

Toward the evening of Wednesday, September 26, 
1906, the city of Pensacola, Fla., was visited by the worst 
storm it had experienced in 175 years. 

The waters of the sea rose eight and one-half feet 
above normal. The wind attained a velocity of 90 miles an 


Mobile Cotton Wharves. Shipping Washed Ashore. 

hour. The tides from the bay backed up into the city, de¬ 
stroying homes and turning the streets into seething rivers. 
When the storm commenced there were between fifty and 
sixty large steamers and sailing vessels lying in the harbor. 
When the hurricane subsided there were only five or six. 
The remainder had been beached, driven ashore, and piled 
up in a mass of wreckage. 

Among the wrecks were several gunboats and other 











190 


THE COMING KING. 


government vessels, nothing being able to withstand the 
force of the elements. 

Great iron steamships of 3,000 tons burden were driven 
ashore, one crashed through houses a block from the 
wharf, while every house for miles along the water front 
was destroyed. 

While the storm was at its height, fire broke out in 
close proximity to the business district. So terrible was 
the storm that the fire department horses refused to leave 
their stalls and face the weather, and the firemen were 
obliged to pull the hose carts by hand. 

Every business house from the wharf on Chalifoux 
Street to the Union Depot was unroofed, every window 
broken. 

Two entire freight trains, with their ponderous en¬ 
gines, were washed from the track and buried deep in the 
sand. 

The following telegram received at the Navy Depart¬ 
ment from the Commandant of the Pensacola Navy Yard, 
immediately after the storm, tells the story of disaster thus 
briefly: — 

“ Waban sunk at wharf. Coal Barge No. 1, Accomac 
and Vixen high on beach at west end of yard. Gloucester 
on beach outside of yard west. Wooden dry dock de¬ 
stroyed. New coal pen almost gone. Permanent wharf 
destroyed. Piles standing on the old coal wharf, and the 
steel dry dock wharf and ammunition wharf damaged. 
Also Undine sunk. Barge ashore. Target range broken 
up. House destroyed. Heavy wreckage in yard. Trees 
uprooted. Wireless top gallant masts gone. All electrical 
wires wrecked. Power plant damaged and not working. 
Buildings generally damaged by wind.” 

Nor was the destruction confined to a limited area. 
Enormous damage to life and property was done at several 
of the army forts and naval stations at various points 
along the Southeastern Atlantic Coast. 




STORMS AND TIDAL WAVES. 191 

Major-General James F. Wade, commanding the At¬ 
lantic division, reported to the War Department that six 
civilians were killed at Fort Morgan, Ala., and one enlisted 
man was missing. The damage to the post was estimated 
at $100,000. Chief Quartermaster Hodgeson, at Atlanta, 
reported to Quartermaster General Humphreys the same 
facts, adding that the fort was completely inundated. 

Captain Lawrence S. Miller, commandant of Fort Bar¬ 
rancas, Fla., reported that three enlisted men were missing 
from that post; that Fort McRae was almost totally de¬ 
stroyed, and that Fort Pickens suffered severely. 

The Santa Rosa Life-Saving Station, near Pensacola, 
was destroyed, and the crew left without food or clothing. 

Six persons drowned, eight good-sized sailing vessels 
wrecked, about thirty smaller vessels sunk or ashore, and 
property damage of more than a million dollars was the re¬ 
sult of the hurricane in the Mississippi Sound. 

At Horn Island, Eight Keeper Johnson, his wife 
and daughter, were swept into the Gulf with their light¬ 
house and drowned. Before the storm reached its height 
Johnson refused to go ashore. 

HURRICANE AND TIDAL WAVE AT MOBILE. 

On September 28, 1906, a terrific hurricane swept up 
the Gulf Coast and centered upon Mobile Bay, driving the 
waters of the bay in a wall against the city. For hours 
the business district was covered by seven feet of water, 
the streets were awash with goods swept from the ware¬ 
houses, and hundreds of. bales of cotton were swept away 
by the waves. 

All the wharves along the city front were total wrecks. 
Eight steamers and river boats were sunk without a trace. 

Sixty lives were lost, and many people were injured by 
falling slate from roofs and from pieces of wreckage that 
were hurled through the air by the terrific force of the 
hurricane. 


13 


192 


THE COMING KING. 


Five thousand buildings were wrecked or damaged. 
Numerous sawmills were either washed away or torn to 
splinters by the force of wave and wind. The loss of prop¬ 
erty was estimated at over three million dollars. 

For twenty-five miles north of Mobile the country was 
completely inundated. The fruit trees, the cotton and 



Mobile Disastsr. Wreck of Mammoth Mississippi Steamboat “Mary.” 


sugar cane, and other crops all over Southern Alabama 
and Mississippi were ruined. 

With each passing year typhoons, tornadoes, and 
hurricanes seem to become more and more terrific and 
destructive, the “prince of the power of the air” being 
permitted to marshall, more and more forcibly, these ele¬ 
ments as weapons of destruction, as “the great day of 
God ” approaches, and the Spirit of the Lord is more fully 
withdrawn from the earth. This leaves Satan almost un¬ 
checked to carry out his plans and desires for the destruc¬ 
tion of life and property. 
















Wars and Rumors of Wars. 

H 1R$ yz sbaU bear of wars and rumors of wars.” Mat® 
tbew 24:6. 



The Saviour, describing the condition of the 
world just previous to His second coming, declares 
that there shall be “wars and rumors of wars,” 
and that “nation shall rise against nation, and 
kingdom against kingdom.” Matthew 24 : 6, 7. 
This would indicate that, as the time draws near 
for the return of the Lord, 
the nations of earth will be 
making unusually great 
preparations for war. 

The world has been a 


In this chapter are 
shown representa¬ 
tive vessels from ma¬ 
ny of the navies of 
the world. They 
represent one great 
branch of modern 
warfare, and make 
vivid the wonderful 
preparations for war 
now being made by 
all nations. 


The U. 8. Battleship 
“ Oregon ” on its famous 
Trip from the Pacific to 
the Atlantic, during the 
Spanish War. 


[ 193 ] 
















































194 


THE COMING KING. 



U. S. Battleship "Iowa." 

Under command of the "fighting 
Captainftobley D. Evans. 


great battle-field, where the strong and the weak 
have contended for the mastery. Nations have 
arisen by battle and blood, held sway by the sword, 
and gone down the same way 
they arose. Time has not 
changed the hearts of 
men, and as nations have 
done in the 
past, so they 
are doing and 
preparing to 
do now with 
greater in¬ 
tensity than 
ever before. 

As we look upon the world to-day, we cannot but 
be impressed with the remarkable preparations for 
war that are in progress, which far exceed any¬ 
thing ever before known in the history of the world. 

Beginning with the French Revolution in 1789, 
and ending with the battle of Waterloo in 1814, 
Europe passed through the Napoleonic wars, which 
were the most terrible ever known in her history. 
But the armies and the preparations for war in Eu¬ 
rope at the present time are on a scale far exceeding 
anything known in Europe at that time. Napo¬ 
leon fought many of his most 
famous battles with an army 
that in Euro- 
i== pean eyes to¬ 
day would ap- 

U. S. Double Turret Monitor, " Mantonomoh. ' 











WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS. 


1 95 


pear ridiculously small. At the battle of Auster- 
litz, where he gained one of his most famous vic¬ 
tories, his army numbered but 75,000 men. His 
crrept rs-m-naign in Russia was undertaken 
m army of 450,000 men. At 
: battle of Leipsic, called “ The 



Battle of the Nations,” there 
were 136,000 French op¬ 
posed to 230,000 allied 
troops. His army at Water¬ 
loo, his last battle, was fought 
with about 75,000 men. How 
small these armies seem in 
comparison with the armies of 
to-day ! Of the five great con¬ 
tinental Powers of Europe,— 


" Old Ironsides ." 

vS, ship of war “Constitution.” Type 
of battle ships one hundred 
years ago. 


France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary and 
Italy,— each one of them has a standing army of 
about 1,000,000 men, and upon necessity the 
whole male population able to bear arms can be 
sent into the field. 

Great Britain is equally prepared for war, 
and her ar¬ 


my num¬ 
bers 450, 
000 men, 
but her 
greatest dis¬ 
play of war¬ 
like power 
is in her na- 



The U. S. Battle Ship ••Missouri." 

Nearly wrecked by explosion in target practice. 
April 13, 1904. 










19 6 


THK COMING KING. 


vy. The fleets of all these powers are continually 
being increased, and it is a well-known fact that 
more than seventy-five per cent of all the reve¬ 
nues of these countries is expended in 
warlike preparations. 

The smaller powers of Europe have 
caught the same spirit, and have 
increased their armies in propor¬ 
tion to their size and popula¬ 
tion, the same as, the greater 
powers. To-day 
Europe is a vast 
camp, and the 
young men 
of the nations 
are with¬ 
drawn from B ritish Battle Ship " Victoria ." 

peaceful pUr- Sunk in collision with the “ Camperdown,” off Tripoli. 

suits and housed in army barracks, where in the life 
of the camp they receive a training distinctly cruel 
and unchristian. Perhaps the 
most warlike preparation, in 
that it takes the world by sur¬ 
prise, that has been made in 
late years, has been that 
accomplished by Japan. 
Thirty years ago Japan 
was unknown 
a military 
power ; to¬ 
day she is 




British Battle Ship, “Nile." 










WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS. 


I 9 7 



powers of earth,— 
an power considers 


The Kaiser's Steam Yacht, 11 Hohenzollern." 


one of the great military 
a nation which no Europe- 
a mean antagonist. 

In naval activity 
she is second 
only to Eng¬ 
land. By 
her ex¬ 
ample, 
and es¬ 
pecially 
because 
of the de¬ 
feat by her of the Chinese, the latter country, 
under the direction of Rus¬ 
sia, made great prepara¬ 
tions for war, which at 
last broke out, Febru¬ 
ary 9, 1904. What 
does it mean that 
these heathen na¬ 
tions develop so 
suddenly into mil¬ 
itary powers of 
such great 
strength? Is it 
not because 
they are pre¬ 
paring for the 
last act of the 
great drama of 


British Training Ship , 0 St, Vincent 






198 


THE COMING KING 


the world’s history ? The prophet Joel, looking to 
this time, exclaimed, “ Proclaim ye this among the 
Gentiles ; Prepare war, wake up the mighty 
men, let all the men of war draw near; 
let them come up: beat your plow¬ 
shares into swords, and your prun¬ 
ing hooks into spears: let the 
weak say, I am strong. . . . 






The Torpedo Boat Afloat. 


The Attack Under Water. 


The Holland Submarine Torpedo Boat. 



Let the heathen be awakened, and come up to the 
valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge 
the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, 
for the harvest is ripe.” Joel 3:9-13. 

The Revelator, describ¬ 
ing the same time, says: 
“ The nations were an¬ 
gry, and Thy wrath 
is come, and the 
time of the 
dead that 
they should 


French War Ship. 










WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS. 


I 99 



be judged, and that Thou should- 
est give reward to Thy servants 
the prophets, and to the saints, 
and them that fear Thy 
name, small and great; 
and shouldest destroy 
them which destroy the 
earth.” Revelation 
11: 18. 

The nations are 
angry. They are jeal¬ 
ous of one another, each 
fearing that the other 
will gain some advant¬ 
age in power, trade, or 
an increase of territory; 

hence the mustering of &htp of the Mexican Navy, ‘Zaragoza. 

armies and the manufacture of implements of war¬ 
fare with a death-dealing capacity marvelous in ac¬ 
curacy and power. France and Germany, hating 
each other with intense hatred, each has reached 
out for allies until Europe is di¬ 
vided into two great opposing 
forces. The nations of Eu¬ 
rope have been seized 
tli a land hunger, 
which has led to 
the forcible divis¬ 
ion of Africa and 
the occupation of 
China. There 


Spanish Oruiser, " Infanta Maria Theresa 

Destroyed in the Spanish-American Wat 










200 


THE COMING KING. 


is scarcely an island of the ocean, from magnifi¬ 
cent Madagascar to the smallest specks of land 
in the Southern seas, that has not within the last 
few years been forcibly taken possession of by some 
of the European powers. Even the people of the 

United States have caught 
the spirit of extension and 
conquest, and it is doubtful 
if their ambition will be con- 
tent with the 
West Indies and 
the Philippines. 

With such a 
state of affairs one 
may expect great preparations for war,—may expect 
“ wars and rumors of wars.” Today,* the rumor is 



Argentine War Ship, " El Nueue de Julie 


that Russia is preparing to 
to-morrow, that her mighty 
force the passes of the Him- 
tains and invade British 
India. Again, German 
and British hostility to- , 
ward each other 
leads the two na¬ 
tions to the 
brink of war. 

At another time 


invade Turkey; 
army will soon 
alaya Moun- 



ita/ian Battle Ship, “ Dandolo. 


*Just at present Russia is involved in a bloody war with Japan, and 
up to this time (May io, 1904,) the results are altogether against her. 
But it is a well-known fact that for a long time Russia has had an 
avaricious eye on Turkish territory, and is merely waiting the favorable 
moment, impelled by some pretext or other, to seize a portion of the 
sultan’s possessions. 









WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS. 


201 



France and Great Britain are growling at each other 
over Egypt and other complications in Africa. The 
empire of Austria-Hungary is on the verge of dis¬ 
solution ; the debates in its 
parliament are trans¬ 
formed into bloody en¬ 
counters between 
the members. 

Southern 
Germany^ 
is not recon¬ 
ciled to its 

subordinate Japanese Protected drulser. “ Yoshlno 

position in the empire; the socialists are active, 
and nihilism stands in the dark with a dagger, 
ready to thrust through any and every king 
or statesman in its way. Pope Leo, before his 
death, aided by the vast body of the Catholic 
clergy, was secretly planning for the overthrow 
of the kingdom of Italy, the restoration of his 
temporal power, and the regaining of his position 
as the arbiter of European affairs. Is it any won¬ 
der that under such circumstances there should 
be “ wars and rumors of 
wars?” The United 
States is affected by the 
prevalent spirit of these 
significant times. 
We have a 
“Monroe 
Doctrine,” 

Chinese Iron Clad, 11 Chen Yuen." 







202 


THE COMING KING. 


which is very offensive 
to some of the European 
powers, and its mainte¬ 
nance can be effected 
only by armies and ships 
of war. Hence a “ vig¬ 
orous foreign policy” is 
advocated, a strong navy 
is being built, and the 
highest military officers 
of the United States are 
advocating an increase 
of the army. 

It is the fixed pur¬ 
pose of this government 
to allow no European 
power not now possess¬ 
ing colonies in this hemisphere, to gain any ter¬ 
ritory on this continent, and an attempt to do so 
may at any time bring the United States into 
collision with some foreign, or grasping European 
power. 

Nations do not make such preparations for war 
without a purpose. A nation cannot go on al¬ 
ways arming 
and never 
fighting. At 
some time the 
storm will 
burst in its fu¬ 
ry, and all past 

Russian Battle Ship, " Petropovtovsk," Sunk by a Mine off 
Port Arthur, April 13, 1904. 








WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS. 203 

wars will sink into insignificance before that conflict. 
In the last great struggle, the “ mighty ones of 
God ” (see Joel 3:11) will take part. Says another 
prophet: ‘‘The nations shall rush like the rush¬ 
ing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, 
and they shall flee afar off, and shall be chased 
as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, 
and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.” 
Isaiah 17:12, 13. 

Several times it has seemed that a general Eu¬ 
ropean war could not be avoided; but a settle¬ 
ment has been speedily effected and the powers 
have again quieted down to watch one another. 
Why is this?—for the reason that God has a 
work to be done in the earth. The angels of 
God are holding the winds of strife until the 
“ servants of God ” are “ sealed.” Revelation 7:3. 

It will not be long now, however, before “ ru¬ 
mors of war” will be turned to war itself,— war, 
grim and terrible —and none can be safe except 
those who have made God their trust, whose hope 
is in another world than this, even the new earth, 
wherein shall dwell the righteous. Matthew 5: 
5; 2 Peter 3 :13. 

Not till then will wars cease, and peace reign 
on earth from the rising even to the setting of 
the sun. 



IBB upon tbe eartb distress ot nations with perplex^ 

Itj.” Me 21:25. 

The times which are to precede 
the coming of the Lord are to con¬ 
tain an abundance of evidence that He is near. 
There are to be signs in the heavens — the dark¬ 
ening of the sun and moon and the falling of 
the stars. There are to be signs on the earth 
— sin, wickedness, and unbelief in a marked de¬ 
gree. Vast armies preparing for battle are to 

tell that the nations are angry. From all these 

things we are to understand that God’s wrath is 
soon to be poured out. 

Of the nations the 
Lord has said they shall 
have “distress” with 
u perplexity.” A glance 
at the peoples of the 
earth will make it appar¬ 
ent to every one that 
such a condition prevails, 
and that the statesmen of 
the world are greatly 

AMERICAN SOLDIERS — War Footing not Estimated. 

[. 204 ] 

















DISTRESS OF NATIONS. 


205 

troubled to know wliat to do to alleviate tbe dis¬ 
tress. 

One of tbe causes of this condition of things 
is tbe militarism wbicb prevails causing distress 
in two ways: 

First , by 
withdraw¬ 
ing so many 
men from 
peaceful 
pursuits, 
and putting 
their labor 
upon wo¬ 
men, while 
the men lie 
idle in the 

Camp | S6C- SRITISH SOLDIERS.— War Footing not Estimated 

ondly , because of the enormous taxation by 
which the immense armies of the world are main¬ 
tained. Every nation of Europe groans under 
these two closely allied burdens. 

This excessive militarism, and the consequent 
enormous burden of taxation, dates from the 
Fran co-Prussian war of 1870-71. France had 
been the first military power in Europe, but in 
measuring swords with Prussia was defeated. Prus¬ 
sia thus suddenly becoming great and powerful, 
the head of Germany, exacted a severe penalty 
from France. A vast sum of money and the two 
provinces of Alsace and Lorraine were taken by 




206 


THE COMING KING. 


Germany. This deeply wounded the national 
spirit of France, and a determination to at some 
time regain those provinces took posession of her. 

The rapidity with which the French nation re¬ 
covered from the defeat of that terrible war aston¬ 
ished the world. Germany, alarmed, increased her 
army. Then France increased hers. So the race 
began. Germany made Austria an ally. Then 
the triple alliance was formed, of Germany, 
Austria-Hungary, and Italy. By the terms of 

this alliance 
these pow¬ 
ers were 
pledged to 
keep up vast 
armies. 
France, iso¬ 
lated and 
threatened 
by all her 
immediate 
neighbors, 
•fin ally 

formed an alliance with Russia. So the arma¬ 
ment of all these powers, and the taxation neces¬ 
sary to support it, goes on. Other nations, seeing 
the inevitable conflict coming, and the necessity of 
being prepared, have increased their armies, and 
thus added to their taxation. 

The statesmen of these nations, knowing that 
war with such armies and weapons as are now 



FRENCH SOLD-IERS .— Possible War Footing 3.000,000. 


DISTRESS OE NATIONS. 


207 



used means little less than wholesale destruction, 
exert themselves to prevent war, still the expec¬ 
tation of it is so wide-spread that from the king’s 
palace to the peasant’s hut there is constant fear 
of a conflict. 

Another 
phase of the 
distress of 
the nations 
lies in the 
fact that 
those pow¬ 
ers which 
are in alli- 
a n c e dis¬ 
trust one an¬ 
other, each 
suspecting 
the others 

of contracting secret alliances. The feeling of 
the nations one toward another is well expressed 
in the words of the poet describing Fitz James 
and Red Murdock, his guide, as they went up the 
mountain together:— 


GERMAN SOLDIERS.— Possible War Footing 8,975,000. 


Jealous and sullen, on they fared, 
Each silent, each upon his guard.” 


Such a strained condition of affairs cannot 
but lead to distress of nations. 

Another cause of distress closely connected 
with the preceding is the dissatisfaction of vast 
masses of the peoples of Europe, and also, to 
14 



THE COMING ICING. 


2o8 

some extent, of all the world, either with their 
present systems of government, or the way the 
laws are administered. 

Before the American Revolution, the idea that 

the common 
people had 
any rights 
was confin¬ 
ed to a few 
advanced 
thinkers. 
To submit 
the body to 
the exact¬ 
ions of the 

SOLDIERS OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARYAustrian War Footing 7 ,340,000 ^ * 11 & ail( ^ 

the soul to 

the priest, was the supreme and only duty of the 
common people. In 1776 a new age,— an age of 
the people, dawned. Liberty, driven by persecution 
from the Old World, fled to the wilds of Amer¬ 
ica, and there undertook to defend the rights of 
the common people. She claimed the right to 
erect a church without a pope and a state with¬ 
out a king. Europe felt the reaction from this 
movement, and the French Revolution, the great¬ 
est event of modern history, was helped forward 
by it. Since that time the spirit of liberty, though 
often cast down and crushed, has been gaining 
ground in Europe. At times, as in 1848, it has 
swept kings from their thrones and popes from 
their altars. 



DISTRESS OF NATIONS. 


209 


At the 




present 
time, kings 
and priests 
are endeav- 
oring to 
tighten 
their grip 
on the peo¬ 
ple, and the 
result is a 
spirit of op¬ 
position to ITALIAN SOLDIERS.—Possible War Footing 2,200,000 Men. 

the present 

conditions. The nihilists of Russia, the com¬ 
munists and anarchists of France, Spain, and Italy, 
are parts of a dissatisfied public, which sometimes 
honorably, and sometimes in the worst possible 
way, strives to bring about a new order of things. 

The better class of these ag¬ 
itators aim in their parlia¬ 
ments, and in other legitimate 
ways, to bring about greater 
liberty; the worst of them 
use the dagger and dynam¬ 
ite to terrorize kings and 
gain what they desire. 

This feeling of unrest 
has crossed the Atlantic, and 
is being widely diffused 
throughout this country. 


SPANISH SOLDIERS.—Possible War 
Footing 480,000 Men. 




210 


THE COMING KING. 




The mar¬ 
vellous ag¬ 
gregations 
of capital, 
popularly 
known as 
“trusts,” 
by which 
business 
and the 
profits of 

RUSSIAN SOLDIERS. - Possible War Footing 3A0O,OO0. business are 

being gath¬ 
ered more and more into the hands of a few, neces¬ 
sarily ruin thousands of men of smaller means. 
The laboring people do not believe that the re¬ 
wards of toil and honest endeavor are equally dis¬ 
tributed. Thinking men, who have studied his¬ 
tory in a way to understand its philosophy, hold 
that the times are similar to the years immediately 
preceding the French Revolution; hence they 
look for some ter¬ 
rible outbreak in 
the near future. 

Unrest is univer¬ 
sal, and unrest is 
certainly a precur¬ 
sor of revolution. 

With the na¬ 
tions joined in al¬ 
liance, burdened 


JAPANESE SOLDIERS— No Estimate of Numbs* 



DISTRESS OF NATIONS. 


211 


with debt, and still, by enormous preparations 
for war, adding debt to debt; with universal 
jealousy pervading all nations; with states¬ 
men at their 
wits’ end to 
know how 
to guide 
their ships 
of state past 
the rocks 
that threat¬ 
en to crush 
them in pie¬ 
ces ; and 
with a rest¬ 
less, dissat¬ 
isfied, and 
often rebel¬ 
lious peo¬ 
ple, the nations of the earth at the 
present day are full of the “ distress ” which was 
predicted by our Lord as one of the evidences of 
His soon coming. 

In such days as these, happy is he whose hopes 
being withdrawn from this troubled world are 
placed upon Christ and His kingdom, which soon 
will take the place of all earthly kingdoms. 



CHINESE SOLDIERS. 
No Estimate of 

War tooting. 


The figures showing military resources in this article consist 
of all males capable of bearing arms in the respective countries, 
and are taken from the World’s Almanac. 








Wtvr Spirit and Peace Talk. 

8 &P 1 FKB, ffieace, peace; wbeit there Is no peace/' Jeremiah 
6 : 14 * “&nd the nations were aitfli>” IRevelation 
11 : 18 * 


u And the nations were angry.” Revelation 

ii : 18. 

It is often repeated from pulpit and press that 
the closing years of the Christian era are to he 
days of peace, safety, and good will among men; 
but unfortunately this pleasing conceit is not 
borne out by the teaching of the Scriptures. 

In the previous chapters the evidences have 
been given that the last days are to be marked by 
stupendous preparations for war. It is well to re¬ 
member that back of such preparations there 
must be the war spirit in the hearts of the peo¬ 
ple. The statement in the Bible, “ And the na¬ 
tions were angry,” shows that such a war spirit 
[ 212 ] 


















WAR SPIRIT AND PEACE TALK. 213 

will exist, and the context shows clearly that this 
statement refers to the last days. Several impor¬ 
tant steps are introduced in the text, taking us 
down through the anger of the nations to the 
final destruction of the wicked:— 

First , “ And the nations were angry.” 

Secondly , “ And Thy wrath is come.” 

Thirdly , “ And the time of the dead, that they 
should be judged,” showing that these events oc¬ 
cur during the time of the investigative judg¬ 
ment. 

Fourthly , “And that Thou shouldest give re¬ 
ward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the 
saints, and to them that fear Thy name, small 
and great.” 

Fifthly , “ And shouldest destroy them which 
destroy the earth.” Revelation 11:18. 

This enumeration, occurring in close connec¬ 
tion with that of the anger of the nations, proves 
conclusively that the last days of this earth’s 
history will be filled with war and unholy strife, 
and that they will not close in peace and safety 
as is fondly supposed by many. 

This very peace talk is foretold in Isaiah 2: 
3, 4. “And many people shall go and sa}^ Come 
ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, 
to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will 
teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His 
paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, 
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And 
He shall judge among the nations, and shall re- 


214 


THE COMING KING. 


buke many people: and they shall beat their 
swords into plowshares, and their spears into 
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword 
against nation, neither shall they learn war any 
more.” 

In verse 2 it is said that this shall “ come 
to pass in the last days.” But this is a proph¬ 
ecy of what “ many people ” shall say, and not 
what the Lord says. The true war feeling of 
the last days (see Joel 1:15; 2:1) is foretold by 
the Lord through His prophet, Joel:— 

“ Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Pre¬ 
pare war , wake up the mighty men, let the men 
of war draw near; let them come up: beat your 
plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks 
into spears: let the weak say I am strong. As¬ 
semble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and 
gather yourselves together round about: thither 
cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. 
Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the 
valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to 
judge all the heathen round about.” Joel 3 :9—13. 

Jeremiah was given a vision of the earth in this 
time. He witnessed the marvelous war prepara¬ 
tions among the nations, and in astonishment and 
fear exclaimed:— 

“ My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at my 

very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I 

cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, 

O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm 

of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried; 


WAR SPIRIT AND PEACE TALK. 215 

for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my 
tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. 
How long shall I see the standard and hear the 
sound of the trumpet.” Jeremiah 4:19-21. 

Verses 23-27 shows that the prophet’s fore¬ 
told “alarm of war” occurs just before the com¬ 
ing of Christ, and the desolation of the earth 
which is to follow. 

While these pictures are not so pleasing as 
the people’s cry of “peace and safety,” they are 
the true representations of our times, for the)' are 
the Lord’s own painting. But men cannot give 
up the thought of a time of peace, even though 
the Lord does say that there will be war. Nor 
is this sentiment confined to individuals. Nations 
talk of peace, and profess great love for peace 
even while making the greatest possible prepara¬ 
tions for war. .The greatest instance of this kind 
is that of 

THE WORLD’S PEACE CONGRESS OF 1899. 

This Congress was called, at the request of the Czar 
of Russia, by the Queen of the Netherlands, in the city 
of The Hague, and was in session from May 18 to July 
29. The promoters of this Congress professed to recog¬ 
nize the ‘ ‘ distress of nations ’ ’ occasioned by the vast 
militarism of the day, which is sapping the vitality of 
the nations of the Old World. Its effort was to devise 
plans by which this could be moderated, or done away. 
Committees were appointed on Armaments, on Rules of 
War, and on Arbitration. Provision was also made for 
a High Court of Arbitration. 


216 


THE COMING KING. 


But not a single country represented in that Congress 
disarmed, or even reduced her estimates for the support 
of her army and navy. It has been broadly hinted that, 
while the Czar was personally honest in his professions 
of love for peace, his ministers made use of the occasion 
only to gain an advantage over other nations. That even 
while the Congress was in session their exertions, in the 
way of preparing for war, were redoubled. So far as the 
world can discover, Russia, though talking peace, still re¬ 
tains her sentiment for war. 

Whatever may be true of the Czar, or of other indi¬ 
vidual rulers, the fact remains that at the present time 
the spirit of war dominates the world. It matters not 
how this spirit manifests itself, it is a significant fact, and 
constitutes a sign of the last days in which we are liv¬ 
ing. And while the war spirit has been among all na¬ 
tions for many years, its active manifestation has not 
appeared prominently until a comparatively recent period. 
A summing up of the recent prominent outbreaks may 
be in place. 


THE CHINO=JAPANESE WAR. 

For centuries Corea had been a bone of contention, 
and a debatable ground between China and Japan. In 
1894 the Corean insurrection in Tong Hak threw the 
nation into disorder, and both China and Japan sent 
troops to quell the disturbance. 

China notified Japan that Corea was her tributary state, 
but Japan refused to acknowledge the claim. This was 
the real issue at stake in the war between China and Japan. 

The conflict was short, and the successes of Japan 
brilliant and overwhelming. Japan had become modern¬ 
ized, while China was an overgrown fossil. The results 
of this war are stated by Robert E. Speer, in the “ World’s 
Work,” as follows:'— 


WAR SPIRIT AND PEACE TALK. 21J 

“The treaty of Shimonseki, which terminated the 
Chino-Japanese war, not only settled the destiny of Corea, 
but also transferred to Japan the Liao Tung Peninsula, 
embracing a great portion of Manchuria and including 
the ports of Port Arthur and Talien-wan. It also opened 
Manchurian ports to all foreign trade, and assigned to 
the Japanese exclusive commercial advantages in the 
interior.” 


THE SPANISH=AMERICAN WAR. 


Until this war Cuba was one of the remaining posses¬ 
sions of Spain in the New World. Prom the first occu¬ 
pation of the beautiful and fertile island, the mother 
country ruled with an iron hand. Her rule was not for 
the benefit of her subjects, but simply to fill the depleted 
coffers of the home government. 

On account of this course of oppression, uprisings 
were frequent. Cuba was but a pigmy beside Spain, but in 
these conflicts she fought like a giant. The final insurrec¬ 
tion began April 12, 1895, when Marti and Gomez, the 
Cuban exiles, with a handful of men landed at Baracoa, 
and proclaimed the republic. Stubbornly the Cubans 
fought for liberty, and with all the forces that Spain 
could bring into action they could not conquer the hand¬ 
ful of ragged, poorly equipped natives. 

Men were hunted in Cuba like wild beasts, prisoners 
of war were murdered in cold blood, the sick and wounded 
were bayoneted or shot as they lay in their hospitals; 
the people of whole districts were herded together in 
the concentration camps, like cattle, but unlike cattle 
were not fed, though they were forbidden to seek sub¬ 
sistence in the only way possible to them, namely, by 
agriculture; homes were burned, plantations were de¬ 
stroyed ; every feeling of humanity was outraged. 

To a large extent the sympathies of the American 


2l8 


THE COMING KING. 


people were with the oppressed Cubans. This sentiment 
found expression in more or less half-hearted efforts to 
intervene between Spain and her rebellious colony, but 
the commercial interests of the sugar trust and allied en¬ 
terprises said, Nay, and so Spain’s oppression continued. 

Any intervention of the United States for the eman¬ 
cipation of Cuba was scarcely a possibility, until that 
fatal night, February 15, 1898, when the battleship 

‘ ‘ Maine ’ ’ was treacherously destroyed in Havana harbor. 
Then, in a moment, the war spirit blazed forth from 
Maine to California, from the Takes to the Gulf, until 
even the peace-loving President, William Mckinley, was 
compelled to take steps which, in a few brief weeks, led 
to the open declaration of war. 

A war fund was immediately voted by Congress, troops 
were called out, the navy strengthened by every available 
means, and coast defenses put in the best condition pos¬ 
sible. A fleet was sent to blockade Havana, and the 
Asiatic squadron at Hong-Kong, under Admiral Dewey, 
was ordered to the Philippine Islands to take care of 
the Spanish fleet at that point, and thus war was on 
once more. 

The opportunity of a life time came to Dewey when 
he met and utterly destroyed the Spanish fleet at Manila. 
And although he sustained the combined fire of the fleet 
and the land batteries, not a ship was lost, not a man 
was killed. L,and forces were sent to both Cuba and 
the Philippines to co-operate with the navy. The Span¬ 
ish fleet under Cervera, after being for some time bottled 
up in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, made a dash for 
freedom, but met with disaster on every hand, not a ves¬ 
sel escaping. Spain at last saw the futility of prolonging 
the struggle, fighting ceased, and peace was at last de¬ 
clared. 



WAR SPIRIT AND PEACE TALK. 


219 


THE ENGLISH=BOER WAR. 

The Transvaal and the Orange Free State, in Africa, 
were, before the war with England, independent republics, 
that had been settled and built up by the Dutch Boers, 
or farmers. 

In late years the discovery of great mineral wealth 
filled the Transvaal with foreigners (called Uitlanders), 
chiefly English, who demanded a share in the admin¬ 
istration of the government. But at this time these Uit¬ 
landers had so increased in numbers that they comprised 
a majority of the inhabitants of this country, and as 
they were intensely loyal to England, the natural foe to 
the Boer government, the Boers did not dare to grant 
them the right of franchise. They feared, and rightly, that 
the newcomers would ‘ ‘ voie away the independence of the 
stater 

The refusal of franchise was resented by the English 
government and war followed. It is conjectured that the 
Jamieson raid on Johannesburg, in 1895, was an attempt 
to cause an outbreak so that the British might quell it 
by force and thus assume control. 

The failure of the Jamieson raid was soon followed by 
a war, the magnitude of which is little understood. En¬ 
gland poured into Africa 250,000 men to conquer a few 
farmer-soldiers. This force was four times larger than 
that under Wellington when he crushed the giant mili¬ 
tary power of Napoleon at Waterloo. Yet the war 
dragged its weary way on for many months before the 
sturdy Boers were brought into subjection to British rule. 

RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR. 

At the close of the recent war between China and Japan, 
the latter government assumed control of Corea. At the 
same time the Liao Tung Peninsula, embracing a great 


220 


THE COMING KING. 


portion of Manchuria, and including Port Arthur and 
Talien-Wan, were given to Japan. 

But Russia, Germany, and France joined in compelling 
Japan to sign a treaty which deprived her of the rights she 
had secured in Manchuria. These governments then pro¬ 
ceeded to take possession of such portions of Chinese terri¬ 
tory as they desired as their reward for saving China from 
Japan. 

In this scramble for Chinese territory, Russia, contrary 
to her agreement with the allied powers, remained and 
strengthened her position in Manchuria. She also pursued 
an aggressive policy in Corea, the integrity of which gov¬ 
ernment Japan regarded as essential to her own safety. 

The interference of these governments has deprived 
Japan of the fruits of her war with China, and has brought 
to her very doors an unscrupulous power that is a menace 
to her own government. Under these severe provocations 
Japan patiently bided her time, and began such preparations 
for war as are now the surprise and wonder of the world. 
Of the policy of Japan in this trying situation, Robert E. 
Speer says, “ The wonderful thing has been, not that Japan 
has looked upon all this with amazement and anger, but 
that she has dealt with it with patience and self-control.” 

From an article by Kogoro Takahira, Japanese Minis¬ 
ter to the United States, published in The World's Work 
for April, 1904, the following facts have been gathered :— 

Japan became convinced that Russia’s designs upon 
Manchuria were to occupy that territory to her own ad¬ 
vantage, thus “ threatening the principle of equal oppor¬ 
tunity for the development of the interests of all the pow¬ 
ers in Manchuria.” Such occupation of Manchuria by 
Russia would cut off Japan’s treaty rights in that terri¬ 
tory, and threaten the integrity of Corea, “ whose independ¬ 
ence Japan regards as absolutely essential to her own repose 
and security.” 

Hence in August, 1903, Japan approached the Govern¬ 
ment of Russia with propositions which ‘‘comprised the 
recognition by both powers of the independence and territo¬ 
rial integrity of China and Corea ; the acknowledgment of 
special interests possessed by each power, respectively, in 
these countries, and the maintenance of the principle of 
equal opportunity in matters of commerce and industry of 
all foreign powers in both China and Corea.” 


WAR SPIRIT AND PEACE TALK. 


221 


No reply was' made by Russia until October, and then 
only of an equivocal nature. Japan continued negotiations 
with Russia, holding firmly to the principles involved in her 
first communication, but making such concessions as were 
consistent with her own safety. Russia remained arrogant 
in her position, but to gain time evidently prolonged nego¬ 
tiations. Meanwhile she was rushing her armies into Man¬ 
churia, massing her war fleet at Port Arthur, and preparing 
that city for the coming struggle which she well knew her 
course of action would precipitate. 

Finally Japan notified Russia that if negotiations 
were further delayed, or continued unsatisfactory, “the 
Japanese Government would be compelled to consider what 
measures it would deem it necessary to take in order to pro¬ 
tect its rights and interests.” 

As Russia still pursued its policy of delay, on February 
5, 1904, diplomatic relations were severed, and the Japan¬ 
ese Minister withdrew. Three days later, at midnight, the 
Japanese fleet made its notable attack upon the Russian 
squadron at Port Arthur, although “the first shot of t'he 
war was fired by a Russian vessel at a Japanese vessel off 
the harbor of Chemulpo on the afternoon of February 8th.” 

Evidently Russia was not ready for the war, and had 
hoped to delay the issue until she could more thoroughly 
fill Manchuria with her troops and strengthen her fleet. 
Hence she has raised the cry that Japan, in making her at¬ 
tack, violated international law ; but other powers did not 
consider that this plea called for any interference on their part. 

Russia has also endeavored to create sympathy by the 
cry that this war was by a “ Christian” nation against a 
“heathen.” But “ the civilized world has refused to ac¬ 
cept a religious formulation of the conflict.” Sympathy 
is largely with the plucky little island kingdom which has 
done so much during the past twenty years to free herself 
from the isolation and restrictions of effete heathenism. On 
the other hand, the awful tyranny and Russian oppression, 
together with the accounts of Jewish massacres, are not rec¬ 
ommending Russia to the sympathies of the civilized na¬ 
tions. One feature of the situation is worthy of notice; 
perfect religious liberty and freedom maintain in Japan, 
while warfare, intolerance, imprisonment, banishment, and 
perhaps death, is the fate of those who hold and advocate 
religious beliefs contrary to the creed of the established 
Greek Church of Russia. 



> OfllR gold and silver f$ cankered; 
and tbe rust cl them sball be a wit* 
ness against you, and sball eat your 
flesb as it were fire.” James 
5:3. 


In the “ Ingersoll and Bland Debate on 
Money,” Colonel Ingersoll opened with the state¬ 
ment that “probably no subject in the world is 
less generally understood than that of money.” 
Professor Bland, in his reply, began by saying, 

“ Colonel Ingersoll is correct in saying that no 
subject is less generally understood than that of 
money.” 

In the debate each endeavored to tell the other, 
and incidentally the rest of the world, all about 
it. Both are undoubtedly sincere; but one said * 
that “there is money enough in the country to 
transact the business,” and advocated strict ad¬ 
herence to a sound money, or gold, basis. The 
other took the opposite position, and advised that 
we remain loyal “ to the true American system 
of currency,—silver and gold coins, and treasuty 
certificates.” 

[ 222 j 











THE MONEY QUESTION. 


223 


The more we study this problem, the more 
complex we find it. It may be termed the diffi¬ 
cult problem of the age. Certain it is that leg¬ 
islators and the money councils of nations have 
not solved it. 

One class holds that the adoption of the gold 
standard will restore confidence, unlock money 
vaults, and cause a revival of business on every 
hand'. 

Another class urges 
that there is insufficient 
money in existence to 
transact the world’s bus¬ 
iness ; hence the free coin¬ 
age of silver, and the 
expansion of the paper 
currency, is a necessity. 

But, taking the lesson of years, and the ex¬ 
perience of nations which have adopted one or 
the other standard, we find that neither theory 
brings the desired solution of the knotty problem. 
The adoption of a gold standard does not open 
safety vaults, and the free coinage of silver does 
not throw into general circulation the money so 
much needed to carry on the industries of the 
world. 

All recognize the fact that when money cir¬ 
culates freely, the times are good. When money 
is scarce, the poor suffer, and trade languishes. 
There is plenty of it in the world, and any plan 
which will set it to circulating will bring the 
“good time coming,” so long desired. 

15 


GOLD AND SILVER IN THE 
WORLD. 


In a. d. 1000, 
44 44 1600, 

44 4 4 1700, 

'•* 44 1S00, 

44 44 1896, 


$ 160 , 000 , 000 . 
960 , 000 , 000 . 
1 , 485 , 000 , 000 . 
4 , 489 , 900 , 000 . 
8 , 139 , 300 , 000 . 


224 


THE COMING KING. 


It is not possible to doubt tbe statistics which 
show that there is more gold and silver in the 
world to-day than ever before; yet it is so scarce 
in the avenues of trade that business is paralyzed. 
So little of it reaches the pockets of the people, 
that they do not have enough 
to buy the common necessi¬ 
ties of life, although the coun¬ 
try is overstocked with them. 

The trouble lies in the 
fact that although there is a 
vast sum of money in the 
world — more than enough to 
meet all the necessities of 
trade — only about five per cent 
of it is in actual circulation. 

The apostle James says: 
“Ye have heaped treasure to¬ 
gether in the last days.” James 
5:3. (Rev. Ver.) And one of 
the great evidences that we 
are in the last days lies in the fact that ninety-five 
per cent of the money treasure of this world is 
collected—literally heaped up — in a few places, 
and five per cent of it is doing the business of 
the world. Where is all this money? 

First , In 1890, about $2,000,000,000, or one- 
fourth of all the money of the world, was locked 
up in the safes of the banks of seventeen nations 
from which reports were obtained. 

Secondly , An untold amount of wealth is be 



wiluan mckinley, 

Elected President of the United 
States in 1S96 on Gold 
Basis. 


THE MONEY QUESTION. 


225 


ing locked up in safety deposit vaults by those 
who will trust neither banks nor financial 
enterprises. 

Thirdly , There is enormous treasure in the 
mints of the world. 

Fourthly , A special fund has been created and 
set aside by many of the Old World nations, as 
a reserve war fund, so that they may be prepared for 
any emergency. The sums mentioned below are 
not reckoned with the general reserve funds of 
nations, and can only be unlocked by grim war. 
Germany has a war reserve fund of 1,500,000,000 
francs ($300,000,000); France has 2,000,000,000 
francs ($400,000,000); Russia has 2,123,000,000 
francs ($430,600,000); Austria has 730,000,000 
francs ($182,500,000). 

These vast sums, taken to¬ 
gether with the regular reserve 
fund of nations (the reserve fund 
of the United States is about 
$500,000,000), will amount to 
more than one-third of all the 
money of the world. 

Is it any wonder that there 
is a scarcity of money ? The 
vast amount of the gold of the 
Klondike, the great treasures of 
Cripple Creek, and other recent 
discoveries of gold and silver, and the free coin¬ 
age of silver, will not remedy the evil. For a 
short time the avenues of trade may feel the im- 



sv 

WILLIAM J. BRYAN. 

Presidential Candidate in 1896 
on Free Silver Ticket. 
Defeated by Wm. McKinley, 


2 26 


THK COMING KING. 


petus of this increase of treasure; but the manh* 
for hoarding wealth is dominating individuals, 
syndicates, trusts, and nations. They will soon 
gather in any surplus, whether it be gold or 
silver. When the great struggle conies, both the 
gold and the silver will be found rusting and 
cankering in the treasure deposits of the rich. 

The scarcity of money first affects the la¬ 
boring classes. Because of this they become res¬ 
tive, and the consequent labor troubles, accom¬ 
panied by demonstrations, strikes, and mob vio¬ 
lence, in turn cause the capitalists to distrust the 
times, and to lock up their millions while the 
poor starve. 

How startling are the words of the prophet, 
as in vision he had a view of the distress of 
those who by their covetousness have brought 
upon the world the present state of things:— 

“They shall cast their silver in the streets, 
and their gold shall be removed: their silver 
and their gold shall not be able to deliver them 
in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall 
not Satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: 
because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.” 
Ezekiel 7 






ADITAL 



( £1B0a2), tbe blre of tbe laborers 
wbo have reaped down your 
fields, wblcb Is of you Kept 
bach by fraud, crletb: and tbe 
cries of them wblcb have reaped 
are entered into tbe ears of tbe 
lord of sabaotb*” James 5: 4* 


The above denunciation refers to the last days, 
the times in which we are now living. The pre¬ 
ceding verse, as given in the Revised Version, 
says of these men, “ Ye have heaped treasures to¬ 
gether in the last days" 

Practically these texts charge that those who 
have “heaped treasures together”— those who 
have gathered to themselves such colossal fortunes 
as we see to-day — have done so by fraud, and 
oppression of the poor. 

All wealth comes originally from the soil. 
The Apostle James uses the work of the laborer 
who reaps the products of the soil, as a type of 
all laborers, who by their work add to the world’s 
wealth. 


[ 227] 








22 S 


THE COMING KING. 


We have but to look about us to see that 
these texts are to-day being accurately fulfilled 
on every side. It is not necessary for the student 
of prophecy to go farther in order to prove that 
we are living in the “last days.” Never in the 
world’s history was there such a heaping together 
of great fortunes by rich men, corporations, syndi¬ 
cates, and trusts as at the present 
time. And never, amid such plen¬ 
ty, was there such general want 
and suffering among the poor. 

Well says Rev. H. W. Bow¬ 
man, in his “War Between Capi¬ 
tal and Labor:” “Such colossal 
fortunes, such hoarding of treas¬ 
ures, such combinations of wealth, 
with such rapid increase of pov¬ 
erty, was never witnessed before. 
Our age alone fits the prophetic 
mold.” 

It is not a crime to accumulate 
property; but when this property 
is acquired through oppression, through grinding 
the face of the poor,— those who are the real 
producers,— then “the cries of them” are heard 
by the “Lord of sabaoth,” and one day He will 
require a terrible toll from the hand of the op¬ 
pressor. 

We are not of those who clamor for a level¬ 
ing equality. The one whose brain institutes, 
and whose capital carries forward, any enterprise, 



REV. H. W. BOWMAN, 
Author of "War Between Cap¬ 
ital and Labor.” 




CAPITAL AND LABOR. 


229 


is entitled to his share of remuneration for the same. 
Still the workmen who furnished the bone and 
muscle and the skilled labor necessary to the carry¬ 
ing out of these plans, are equally entitled to fair 
remuneration for what they bring into the enter¬ 
prise. If this principle — the principle advocated 
in God’s word — could be carried out, there would 
be fewer great fortunes, and poverty, privation, 
and suffering among the toilers of the earth 
would not be known. 

As an example in point may be mentioned 
two cotton mills that in the year 1880 paid 
their stockholders a dividend of twenty-one per 
cent, or over one-fifth of all capital invested, while 
their workmen were paid ninety cents a day. A 
prominent linen compan3q while paying the same 
wages mentioned above, one year declared a div¬ 
idend of eighty per cent, or four-fifths of the cap¬ 
ital invested. 

It is against such operations that the Apostle 
James hurls the denunciation that the wages of 
the laborer “is of you kept back by fraud.” By 
no possibility can such dividends be honestly 
paid, while the laborers, who have been one great 
element in its production, are ground down to 
the very limit of a mere day-by-day existence. 

The book, “The Money Question,” contains 
*he following statements :— 

“ Thousands of men are forced to work for as 
low wages as fifty cents a day and support their 
families. One dollar a day is the average for 


2$0 


THE COMING KING. 


factory help in the East, while the owners clear 
hundreds of dollars. A few years ago an East¬ 
ern corporation reduced the wages of its common 
laborers from $1.50 to $1.25, while its president 
was receiving $75,000 per year, without any re¬ 
duction of salary. In Massachusetts a large man¬ 
ufacturing firm reduced the wages of the largest 
class of its operatives from ninety cents a day 
to sixty-five cents, while the general manager was 
getting $83.00 per day without any reduction.” 

Dr. H. W. Bowman, in his book, “ The Money 
Question ,” says: “ The chief grievance of the la¬ 
boring classes to-day is the inequitable distribu¬ 
tion of wealth, every dollar of which is the pro¬ 
duct of labor, either mental or muscular. The 
producing classes do not receive the proper equiv¬ 
alent for their toil. They reap down the fields 
for speculators; they build railroads for capitalists; 
they run manufactures for corporations; they 
delve in the mines for monopolists; and only 
make barely enough to live, while their employers 
amass princely fortunes from their toil. . . . 

“The tendency of our age is to turn the la¬ 
borer into a mere machine, and forget that he 
is a man. In some manufactories the employer 
would consider it degrading to speak to his hired 
men. These men, mere machines, holding their 
places as long as they are any good, are in their 
old age thrown out 011 cold charity, when they 
must either beg or go to the poor house to end 
their miserable existence. If the laborer received 


CAPITAL AND LABOR. 


231 


his just dues from his work, he would be able to 
end his life in comfort and ease. The ambitious 
laborer does not look kindly toward such an end, 
and, as a result, we have the frequent strikes, 
lockouts, and labor riots, all over the civilized 
world. These all reveal the fact that the question 
of the just amount of wages paid by the employer 
is the chief cause of dispute between them. Here 
is the conflict, and it can never be done away 
with so long as circumstances remain as they 
are at present.” 

Prof. Cairnes stated the matter in almost the 
same language several years ago: “A constant 
growth of the national capital, with nearly equally 
constant decline in the proportion of capital which 
goes to support productive labor.” As a conse¬ 
quence he says the result is “a harsh separation 
of the classes, combined with those glaring in¬ 
equalities in the distribution of wealth, which 
most people will agree are among the chief ele¬ 
ments of our social instability.” 

Dr. Bowman says: “ Everywhere we find cap¬ 
ital and labor arrayed against each other. While 
the shops and factories apparently move along 
as usual, there is from time to time an uprising 
among the laborers. There is no denying the 
fact that labor is becoming more thoroughly or¬ 
ganized every day. This is likewise true of cap¬ 
ital, and the contest which results grows more 
intense every year. Capitalists, to satisfy selfish 
greed and to put the laboring man at a disadvan- 


THE COMING KING. 


232 

tage, were the first to organize, and workingmen 
had to organize for mutual protection, at first, but 
later for retaliation. Both organize for selfish 
purposes — to gain an undue advantage of the 
other. The workingmen declare that they are 
defrauded out of an equitable proportion of the 
increase of wealth. They claim that while the 
capitalists are amassing vast wealth, they are re¬ 
duced to want and starvation. They are now 
denouncing the injustice of the wage system, ask¬ 
ing for a fairer share of the proceeds.” 

If wage-workers were paid their fair propor¬ 
tion of what they produce, there would be plenty 
in their homes. If this were done, there 
would be money to spend, and the cry of “ hard 
times ” in all lines of industry and trade would 
no longer be heard. There is no lack in our 
land of the good provisions of God to make all 
comfortable. 

Overproduction of both farm and factory is 
the complaint, and yet processions throng the 
streets of our cities, crying for bread. There is 
no real overproduction, but the means to pur¬ 
chase has passed from the hands of the masses 
to the few who have appropriated to themselves 
the wealth of the nation. 

In answer to the cry of “hard times,” the 
following appeared in the San Francisco Exam¬ 
iner : “How is it in this country? We have so 
much to eat that the farmers are complaining 
that they can get nothing for it. We have so 




CAPITAL AND LABOR. 


2 33 

mucli to wear that cotton and woolen mills are 
closing’ down because there is nobody to buy 
their products. We have so much coal that the 
railroads that carry it are going into the hands 
of the receivers. We have so many houses that 
the builders are out of work. 

“ All the necessities and 
comforts of life are as plen¬ 
tiful as ever they were in the 
most prosperous year in our 
history. When the country 
has enough food, clothing, 
fuel, and shelter for every¬ 
body, why are times hard? 

Evidently nature is not to 
blame. Who is ? ” 

At the close of the Civil 
War in the United States, 

President Lincoln said: “A 
time is coming which alarms 
and unnerves me, when all 
the wealth will be in the hands of a* few. I 
have more anxiety for my country now than 
during the war.” 

Mr. Henry George, in “ Progress and Poverty,” 
says:— 

“ Unpleasant as it may be to admit it, it is at 
last becoming evident that the enormous increase 
in productive power which has marked the present 
century, and is still going on with accelerating 
ratio, has no tendency to extirpate poverty, or 



Abraham Lincoln. 


234 


THE COMING KING. 


to lighten the burdens of those compelled to toil. 
It simply widens the gulf between Dives and 
Lazarus, and makes the struggle for existence 
more intense. The march of invention has clothed 
mankind with powers of which a century ago the 
boldest imagination could not have dreamed. But 
in factories where labor-saving machinery has 
reached its most wonderful development, little 
children are at work; wherever the new forces 
are anything like fully utilized, large classes are 
maintained by charity, or live on the verge of re¬ 
course to it. . . . In the United States it is clear 
that squalor and misery, and the vices and crimes 
that spring from them, everywhere increase as 
the village grows to the city, and the march of 
development brings the advantages of the improved 
methods of production and exchange. It is in the 
older and richer sections of the Union that pau¬ 
perism and distress among the working classes 
are becoming most apparent.” 

When Abraham Lincoln spoke the words 
previously quoted the colossal fortunes of the 
present day were unknown, so there were but 
few millionaires in the United States. But how 
have they increased during the past forty years? 
The following statement from the Boston Globe , 
December, 1890, is to the point: “ Men now 
living can remember when there were not half a 
dozen millionaires in the land. There are now 
four thousand six hundred millionaires, and sev¬ 
eral whose yearly income is said to be over a 
million.” 


CAPITAL AND LABOR. 


235 


Truly did Mr. Gladstone 
say: “ There are gentlemen 
before me who have witnessed 
a greater accumulation of 
wealth within the period of 
their lives than has been seen 
in all preceding times since 
the days of Julius Csesar.” X 
There are several capi¬ 

talists in the United States 
who are worth from one hun¬ 
dred million to one hundred 
and fifty million dollars. Such 
vast sums can hardly be comprehended. One 

hundred men, earning one thousand dollars a 

year each, would all have to work one thousa 7 id 
five hundred years to earn as much as one of 
these richest men is worth. It would take a train 
of sixteen cars to carry as much gold, each car 
loaded with ten tons. 

The table on this page clearly shows where 
the bulk of the wealth of the United States is 
found. 

But while wealth has rapidly increased, it 
has gone into the hands of the few; the property 
also has passed out of the hands of the masses. 
Upon this point the Young Men's Era has the 
following: — ' astonishinu statistics» 

U When Egypt went 200 petsons, each worth $ 20,000,000. 
down, two per cent of 4 °° “ “ “ 10,000,000. 

her population owned all 2aoo .. 2 , 500 , 000 . 



236 THE COMING KING. 

her wealth. The people were starved to death. 

“When Babylon went down, two per cent of 
her population owned all her wealth. 

“When Persia went down, one per cent of 
her population owned the land. 

“ When Rome went down, eighteen hundred 
persons owned all the known world. 

“ For the past twenty years the United States 
has rapidly followed in the steps of these old 
nations. Here are the figures:— 

“In 1850, capitalists owned thirty-seven and 
one-half per cent, of the nation’s wealth. 

“In 1870 they owned sixty-three per cent. 

“In 1890 statistics show That two per cent of 
our population owned seven-tenths of our entire 
wealth. 

Chauncey Depew says that “ fifty men control 
the finances of this country and dictate its leg¬ 
islation.” 

But this situation is not peculiar to this 
country. 

“In England, in 1887, one-thirteenth of the 
people owned two-thirds of the nation’s wealth. 

“Seventy persons own one-half of Scotland.” 

“ Less than eight hundred persons own one- 
half of Ireland.” 

Truly the words of the apostle are being ful¬ 
filled in all the earth : “Ye have heaped treasures 
together in the last days.” James 5:3. R. V. 

Professor Cairnes, in his “ Political Economy,” 
says: “The rich will be growing richer, and the 
poor at least relatively poorer.” 




CAPITAL AND LABOR. 


2 37 


H. W. Bowman, in “War between Capital and 
Labor,” says : “ Survey the whole wide world, and 
you find that rags and wretchedness, wealth and 
pleasure, mark the two classes, which are constantly 
growing apart.” 

The Boston Globe says: “In New York the 
daily wages of sewing women is fifty cents for 
fifteen hours’ work, and yet there are people who 
wonder at the unrest and dissatisfaction among 
wage-earners. There are one hundred and fifty 
thousand women and girls in New York and 
Brooklyn who work from twelve to fourteen hours 
for fifty cents.” 

One writer says: “When 
rich men and wealthy monop¬ 
olies pay starvation wages, 
what is it but wealth feeding 
on poverty?” 

The following is from the 
pen of Frances E. Willard, 
in Nineteenth Century Civili¬ 
zation : “The Christian can 
not accuse the pagan. The 
murder of his civilization is 
slower; its method is finer. 

Its horrors are tempered to the sensitive nerves 
of a generation whose lips are moist with the 
profession of the doctrine of the lowly Nazarene; 
but beneath this travesty of science that names 
itself industrial competition, there lies a barbar¬ 
ism more pagan, a stupidity that is infinite. 



238 


THE COMING KING. 


“We read about women who make twelve 


shirts for seventy-five cents, and furnish their 


THE SONG OF THE SHIRT. 

With fingers weary and worn, 

With eyelids heavy and red, 

A woman sat, in unwomanly rags. 

Plying her needle and thread. 
Stitch—stitch—stitch, 

In poverty, hunger, and dirt; 

And still with a voice of dolorous pitch 
She sang the “Song of the Shirt.” 

W ork — work—work, 

Till the brain begins to swim ! 
Work — work — work, 


own thread — in Chicago.” 

The New Era says: 
“We are assured on what 
seems to be good authority, 
that the ‘ sweating ’ system 
is forcing men and women 
to work sometimes for thir¬ 
ty-three and even thirty-six 
consecutive hours to avoid 
starvation. 


Till the eyes are heavy and dim ! 
Seam, and gusset, and band, 
Band, and gusset, and seam — 
Till over the buttons I fall asleep, 
And sew them on in a dream. 


‘ ‘ ‘ Alas that gold should be so dear, 
And flesh and blood so cheap! ’ ” 


After a tour through 
the slums of Boston, the 
editor of the Arena speaks 
of the starvation wages paid 
by wealthy manufacturers. 
Among other things he 
mentioned “ thirteen cents 
for fine custom-made pants 
manufactured for a wealthy 
firm which repeatedly as¬ 
serts that its clothing is 
not made in tenement 
houses! ” 

Of nail-makers in Eng¬ 
land, Mr. Potter says: “ It 
is no unusual thing for a family of three or 
four persons, after working something like four¬ 
teen hours a day, to earn $4.18 per week.” 


O men, with sisters dear! 

O men, with mothers and wives! 
It is not linen you’re wearing out, 
But human creatures’ lives! 
Stitch—stitch—stitch, 

In poverty, hunger, and dirt— 
Sewing at once, with a double thread, 
A shroud as well as a shirt. 

Oh! but for one short hour— 

A respite, however brief! 

No blessed leisure for love or hope, 
But only time for grief! 

A little weeping would ease my heart; 

But in their briny bed 
My tears must stop, for every drop 
Hinders needle and thread ! 

— Thomas Hood. 




CAPITAL and labor. 


239 


Says the Pall Mall Gazette : u Working women 
in London cover and embroider sunshades at three 
quarters of a penny apiece, and, if work can be 
got, skillful workers do two dozen shades a day. 
... In shirt making a woman who works six¬ 
teen hours a day earns from eighteen to twenty- 
four cents. This means, for ninety-six hours per 
week, a minimum compensation of $ 1.08, and a 
maximum of $1.44.” 

This paper further states 
that thousands of faint and 
ragged wretches were ready 
to fight for the chance of 
work at the wharves for 
forty cents a day. 

Henry George, Jr., in 
the Boston Globe , states 
that the usual wages of farm 
laborers in Wiltshire is ten 
shillings ($2.50) a week. 

This would give eight cents 
daily each for a family of five. 

The Irish question has been a source of trouble 
in English legislation for years. It has never 
been settled because the larger portion of this 
much-abused country is owned by a very few Eng¬ 
lishmen whose only interest in the country is the 
rental and taxes which they wring from the de¬ 
spairing people. 

James G. Blaine, writing upon this subject, 
says : “ They take from the tenantry that cultivate 
16 



James G. Blaine. 



240 


THE COMING KING. 


the land, $66,000,000 rental per annum. Now 
mark you, I am talking of the little island, not 
so large as Maine, . . . and then they pay an 
imperial tax of $35,000,000, and a local tax of 
$15,000,000 more. There are $116,000,000 to be 
wrought out of the bone and flesh and spirit of 
the Irish peasant, and no wonder he lies crushed 
and down-trodden.” 

In Frankfort, women work for ten cents a day. 
Farm laborers get rent, fuel, twenty-five bushels 
of rye, three bushels of pease, one and one-half 
bushels of wheat, and from nineteen to twenty- 
five dollars in money for a year’s work. 

In Berlin “the incomes of 270,000 persons 
range from $105 to $165 a year; and 220,000 
are not taxed because their incomes are less than 
$105 a year. 

“ In Austria the common laborer receives about 
thirty-six cents for a day’s work of twelve or four¬ 
teen hours. 

“It is said that in Italy thousands live on wild 
roots, nuts, and herbs. 

“In France, labor riots are frequent. 

“It is stated that in China and Japan, wages 
are as low as six cents a day.” 

In “The Money-Question.” we find the fol¬ 
lowing quoted:— 

“ A hundred years ago, when the inventions of 
Watt and Arkwright were transforming, by the 
introduction of steam power, the manufacturing 
industries of England, and a new epoch of social 


CAPITAL AND LABOR. 


241 


happiness was about to open for the world of 
labor, an English poet might have sung the 
same song as that of his Greek brother (who 
praised the invention of the water wheel), and 
yet to-day the triumphal song of labor has been 
changed into the bitter cry of outcast thousands. 
After two thousand years the economic millen¬ 
nium still seems as far off as it ever was. Ma¬ 
chinery, it is true, has multiplied riches, and 
created leisure. But who are those who enjoy it? 
Here is the great practical problem of modern 
life. In all the countries of Christendom this 
is the most perplexing subject with which mod¬ 
ern society has to deal. i Give us this day our 
daily bread/ is the cry, too often the despairing 
cry, of the modern workman.” 



0 ZO now, ye rich men, weep and bowl tor 
your miseries that sball come upon you* \>our 
rlcbes are corrupted, and your garments are 
motb*eaten* ^our gold and silver Is cankered; 
rust ot them sball be a witness against you, and sball 
eat your tlesb as it were tire* \>e have heaped treasure together 
tor tbe last days*” James 5:1*3* 


What will be the outcome of the conflict be¬ 
tween capital and labor? To the rich the Lord 
says: “Ye have heaped treasure together in the 
the last days.” James 5:3, R. V. Those who 
have done this have resorted to oppression, until 
the working classes have been ground down to 
a point almost beyond endurance. 

But the rich will not long enjoy their riches 
unmolested. The apostle Paul says, “ In the 
last - days perilous times shall come.” 2 Timothy 
3:1. These are the very days in which treasure 
shall be “heaped together,” as we have seen. 

The Apostle James, looking forward to the pres¬ 
ent struggle, sees the outcome, and speaking by 
[ 242 ] 










THE COMING CONFLICT. 


243 


inspiration, says to tlie capitalists : “ Go to now, 
ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries 
that shall come upon you. . . . Your gold and 
silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall 
be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh 
as it were fire.” James 5:1-3. The very riches 
in which they trust will become the source of 
their overthrow and misery. 

As the concentration and organization of power 
among the rich takes the property from the mid¬ 
dle classes, it throws into the 
ranks of wage-workers men of 
intellect and ability. With such 
men at their head, the laboring 
classes have been organizing for 
protection, so that instead of the 
interests of capital and labor 
being mutual, as they must be 
to insure success, they now form 
two antagonistic forces. 

Organized labor has be¬ 
come a power; and when its T - De Wltt Talmage> 

councils decide to make war upon any line of 
tyranny, the effect is felt everywhere. 

The late Dr. Talmage, speaking several years 
since in one of the Washington pulpits from Mat¬ 
thew 7:12: “Whatsoever ye would that men 
should do to you, do ye even so to them,” said:— 

“The greatest war the world has ever seen 
is between capital and labor. The strike is not 
like that which in history is called the Thirty 



244 


THE COMING 'KING. 


Years’ War; for it is a war of centuries, it is a 
war of the five continents, it is a war hemispheric. 

“The middle classes in this country, upon 
whom the nation has depended for holding the 
balance of power, and for acting as mediators be¬ 
tween the two extremes, are diminishing; and if 
things go on at the same rate as they are now go¬ 
ing, it will not be very long before there will be no 
middle class in this country ; all will be very 
rich or very poor, princes or paupers, and the 
country will be given up to palaces and hovels. 

“The antagonistic forces are closing in upon 
each other. The Pennsylvania miners’ strike, the 
telegraph operators’ strikes, the railroad employees’ 
strikes, the movements of the boycotters and 
the dynamiters, are skirmishers before a general 
engagement, or, if you prefer it, escapes through 
the safety-valve of an imprisoned force which prom¬ 
ises the explosion of society. 

“You may pooh-pooh it; you may say that , 
this trouble, like an angry child, will cry itself 
to sleep; you may belittle it by calling, it Four¬ 
ierism, or socialism, or Saint-Simonism, or nihil¬ 
ism, or communism; but that will not hinder the 
fact that it is the mightiest, the darkest, the most 
terrific threat of the century. 

“All attempts at pacification have been dire 
failures, and monopoly is more arrogant and the 
trades unions are more bitter. ‘ Give us more 
wages,’ cry the employees. ‘ You shall have less,’ 
say the capitalists. ‘ Compel us to do fewer hours 


THE COMING CONFLICT. 245 

of toil a day.’ ‘You can toil more hours, 7 say 
the others. ‘ Then under certain conditions we 
will not work at all, 7 say these. ‘ Then you shall 
starve, 7 say those; and as the workingmen grad¬ 
ually use up that which they accumulated in bet¬ 
ter times, unless there be some radical change, 
we shall soon have in this country four million 
hungry men and women. Now four million hun¬ 
gry people can not be kept quiet. All the en¬ 
actments of legislatures, and all the constabula¬ 
ries of the cities, and all the army and navy of 
the United States can not keep four million hun¬ 
gry people quiet. 77 

Some of the best thinkers of the world are 
awake to the coming conflict between capital 
and labor. 

Ruskin, Carlyle, and Disraeli, the great Eng¬ 
lish publicists, prophesied the coming increase of 
poverty. 

Mr. Bellamy, the editor of the New Nation 
at Boston, speaks thus: “These are times of 
storms and stress, when men’s hearts fail them 
for fear. 77 

The former Mayor Harrison, of Chicago, some 
years since, predicted riots all over the country. 

Judge Brewer, of the Supreme Court, predicts 
a coming struggle against capital as bloody as 
the war of 1861-65. 

Says Rev. Hugh Price, “The terrible strug¬ 
gles between capital and labor, with the appalling 
prospects of world embracing organizations on 


246 the: coming king. 

both sides, are the darkest aspects of an irresis¬ 
tible tendency.” 

Rabbi Adler says: “ Never in the world’s his¬ 
tory has there been greater need to preach the 
duties of wealth and the rights of poverty. In 
no previous age has the chasm been so deep which 
divides the rich arid the poor” 

Said the late Cardinal 
Manning: “The condition 
of the wage-earning people 
of every European country is 
a grave danger to every Eu¬ 
ropean state. The hours of 
labor, the employment of wo¬ 
men and children, and the 
scantiness of wages, the un¬ 
certainty of employment, the 
fierce competition fostered by 
modern political economy, and 
the destruction of domestic life resulting from 
all these and other kindred causes, have ren¬ 
dered it impossible for men to live a human life.” 

Says George E. McNeill, editor of the Labor 
Movement: “The laborer and the capitalist are 
living in war relations; and the sooner this fact 
is acknowledged the better for the adjustment of 
differences. The mob can be put down for awhile; 
but the spirit of hate that now centers upon the 
great monopolies will soon extend to the govern¬ 
ment that acts as their protector. The existence 
of a million tramps is a standing threat against 



Cardinal Manning. 


THE COMING CONFLICT. 


247 


, the stability of our institutions. They are the 
unorganized militia of incipient rebellion; and the 
attempt to suppress them by violent measures 
will fail in the nineteenth century as it did in 
the eighteenth.” 

The situation was epitomized several years 
ago by the Chicago Sentinel as follows:— 

“ Money in the banks accumulating. 

“ Money in the channels of trade diminishing. 

“ Business failures increasing. 

“The value of money and securities rising. 

“The value of property and labor falling. 

“Tramps multiplying. 

“ Pauper accounts piling up. 

“The wolf prowling around the hovel of the 
poor. 

“Enterprise paralyzed. 

“ Business struggling for life. 

“Labor forced to idleness. 

“ Crime on the increase. 

“Want and misery stalking abroad at noon-da}'. 

“Shylock’s millions piling up. 

“The widow’s mite melting away. 

“Mutterings of discontent among the people. 

“The sound of revelry in the halls of Babylon. 

“Justice whetting its sword. 

“Vengeance in the air. 

“Revolution in the land. 

“Hark!” 

The rich are beginning to realize the dangers 
that threaten them. The following is from a 


248 


THE COMING KING. 


New York daily of 1892: “Since the outbreak 
of cranks in New York, the rich men of that city 
have had their houses guarded by from one to 
three private watchmen. Jay Gould has three. 
The late Colonel Elliot F. Shepard had a six- 
foot Irishman to watch his house. But the colo¬ 
nel should have remembered, ‘ Except the Lord 
keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain.’ 
And so it is down the long list of New York’s 
millionaires; each has one watchman or more to 
keep away cranks and other dangers. The pri¬ 
vate detectives business has been very good this 
winter since Russell Sage was blown up.” 

It is said that a notorious millionaire, when 
asked why he did not build a palatial mansion, 
such as Vanderbilt’s, replied “/ don't want a 
house that will be so easily found when the hun¬ 
gry fellows break loose." 

Hugh O. Pentecost, in 1892, reasoning from 
the history of the past, said: “We are on the 
brink of a financial panic. It may break upon 
us at any day. Only a few days ago money was 
loaned on Wall street at the rate of nearly two 
hundred per cent a year. Soon after the panic 
comes laborers will begin to feel the pangs of 
hunger and the bite of cold. A hungry stom¬ 
ach and shivering limbs know no respect for 
property, no reverence for law. And when hun¬ 
gry men begin to seize food and clothing wher¬ 
ever they can find them, the monopolists will have 
them shot, and 0 . . a horrible dance of death 


THE COMING CONFLICT. 249 

will ensue, by the light of burning houses and 
the discordant music of cries, and groans, and 
musketry, and dynamite bombs.” 

It is useless for us to close our eyes to the 
fact that red-handed anarchy, if not actually abroad 
in the earth to-day, is only awaiting the return 
of the business depression of a few years ago to 
spnng again into destructive activity. Unscru¬ 
pulous men, and women too, are only too glad 
to take advantage of the spirit of discontent among 
the working classes. They make it their business 
to foment strife between capital and honest labor. 

On the subject of anarchy, T. DeWitt Tal- 
mage, in “A Battle for Bread,” says: “Great 
throngs gather at some point of disturbance in 
almost all our cities. Railroad trains hurled over 
the rocks! Workmen beaten to death in sight 
of their wives and children! Factories assailed 
by mobs! . . .The whole country asking the 
question, ‘ What next ? ’ ” 

“ Anarchy is the abolition of the rights of prop¬ 
erty. It makes your store, and your house, and 
your family mine, and mine yours. It is whole¬ 
sale robbery. It is every man’s hand against 
every other man. It is arson, and murder, and 
rapine, and lust, and death triumphant. It means 
no law, no church, no defense, no right, no hap¬ 
piness, no God. It means hell let loose on earth, 
and society a combination of devils incarnate.” 

Of the anarchist the same writer says: “ He 
owns nothing but a knife for universal blood- 


250 


THE COMING KING. 


letting and a nitroglycerine bomb for explosion. 
He believes in no God, in no government, no 
heaven, and no hell, except what he can make 
on earth.” 

An article in the Social Economist , 1892, has 
the following: “ Law and anarchy. These are 
the two opposing principles whose conflict society 
is watching with intense interest at the present 
time, and especially in our own republic.” 

Rev. H. W. Bowman, in “War between Cap¬ 
ital and Labor,” says: “What do these immense 
hordes of anarchists and nihilists propose to do? 
They propose to right the wrongs of this world 
by a greater wrong,— by dynamite, sword, and 
torch to crush out the last vestige of government, 
and bring about a social chaos. Their numbers 
are constantly increasing.” 

The Christian Union lately said that the Rus¬ 
sian nihilists “ avow that their aim is to over¬ 
turn civilized society. They declare that society 
as constituted is so corrupt and so essentially op¬ 
pressive of the poor that there is no way of re¬ 
forming it, and the only remedy is destruction. 
Their correspondence with the revolutionary soci¬ 
eties of London and Paris shows that the conspi¬ 
racy is world-wide.” 

The following is from the New York Times , 
1893: “Beneath the surface of society, wherever 
the pressure becomes so great as to open an oc¬ 
casional rift, you will catch omnious glimpses of 
toiling and groaning thousands, seething in sul- 


THE COMING CONFLICT. 


251 


len discontent, and yearning after a new heaven 
and a new earth, to be realized in the wild frenzy 
of anarchy by the overthrow of all existing institu¬ 
tions, and the letting loose of all the fiercest pas¬ 
sions of the human animal.” 

To the laboring man and woman we would 
say, Shun anarchy and anarchists as you would a 
breeding pestilence. The worst evil that could 
befall you and humanity would be the success 
and reign of anarchy. When such elements gain 
control, their bloodthirsty instincts are not ap¬ 
peased by the overthrow of their natural enemies. 
They must then turn and fight among themselves. 
It always has been so, it cannot be otherwise. 
Their success will inaugurate a reign of terror 
for those very laboring classes far worse than the 
present evils, and only approached by the hor¬ 
rors of the French Revolution. 



£ patient therefore, brethren, unto the 
coining ot the lord. ®ebo!d, 
the husbandman waitetb Tor tbe 
precious Trnit of tbe eartb, and 
batb long patience for it, until be 
receive tbe early and latter rain. 
®e ye also patient; stabiisb your 
hearts: for tbe coming of tbe lord drawetb nigb.” James 5: 
7, 8. - 


“Vengeance' 
mine; I will _ 
repay. 5aiih the Lord. 


In consideration of tlie evils to come upon 
the earth, as brought out in the three preceding 
articles, how shall we, as followers of Christ, re¬ 
late ourselves to these things? 

As students of prophecy we can see that the 
finger of God has clearly pointed out the very 
situation as it is to-day, and also marked out the 
future of the coming struggle between capital 
and labor. 

By a careful study of this revelation so gra¬ 
ciously given us, we can see the end of the strug¬ 
gle as clearly as if it had already come to pass. 
We see before us a struggle to the death. The 
organized forces of capital and labor will never 
be reconciled. The oppression of the rich will 
increase, and the resistance of the laboring classes 
will be more determined and violent, until finally 
L 252 ] 













WHAT SHADE WE DO? 


253 

summoned to “the battle of tliat great day of 
God Almighty.” Revelation 16:14. 

The prophet Daniel was instructed as to the 
situation at the present stage of the world’s his¬ 
tory : “ The wicked shall do wickedly: and none 
of the wicked shall understand; but the wise 
shall understand.” Daniel 12:10. 

Those who are living as in the days of Noah, 
buried up in their own personal affairs, without 
a knowledge of God or His word, can not under¬ 
stand the trend of these events. They can not 
see the abyss of ruin that is before them. They 
can not see trouble coming, but out of it they 
who are on the side of the oppressed hope to bring 
in an age of tranquility, in which wrongs shall be 
righted and the bounties of God in the earth re¬ 
ceive an even distribution among all classes. 

But God’s word says this is not to be. The 
wicked will continue to “do wickedly.” The cry 
of the oppressed will come up before God as a 
memorial, until the affairs of this world are cut 
short in righteousness, and the coming King 
brings in His reign of justice and mercy and 
love, as proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds 
of Bethlehem: “ Glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace, good will toward men.” 
Luke 2:14. 

Upon this point Rev. H. W. Bowman, in “War 
between Capital and Labor,” says: “Judged from, 
a human standpoint, the prospect is dark; it 
looks like war, universal war. But the prophetic 


254 


THE COMING KING. 


student climbs up the steeps of revelation, up 
above the dark war-clouds, and sees beyond earth’s 
scenes of strife and blood the restitution of all 
things which were foretold by God’s ancient pro¬ 
phets,— the advent of Christ in glory, the overthrow 
of wickedness, the earth made new, the kingdom of 
God established, and righteousness, justice, equity, 
truth, and peace as eternal inhabitants of that 
bright realm. And with exultant heart he cries 
out, ‘Come, Lord Jesus! and come quickly.’” 

Again we quote from the same author: “ The 
education of the masses and the cultivation of 
the fine arts will not redeem humanity, nor se¬ 
cure justice in the government. Egypt, Babylon, 
and Greece all were highly cultured, but the same 
inequalities existed there.” They all “went down 
because of” their “lavish luxury and social in¬ 
equality.” 

“Political law can not cement men in ties of 
brotherhood, nor inspire benevolence in human 
hearts. Man’s rule has been an era of misrule 
from the first. Law never begets love. Compul¬ 
sory obedience creates hatred. The man who is 
conquered by force will remain an enemy; the 
man who is conquered by love will be a friend. 
Politicians admit that a change of systems does 
not remove the evil.” 

“Brute force can not reform men. One out¬ 
rage can not reform another outrage. Physical 
force can never give a man real power over his 
fellows. No method of reform that depends upor 


WHAT SHALL WE DO? 255 

the superior strength of one class over another, 
and does not change the heart of men, has any 
element of durability in it.” 

The strife between capital and labor is but one 
feature of the great controversy between truth 
and error, between good and evil, that has been 
in progress for six thousand years. At the pres¬ 
ent this struggle constitutes one of the most strik¬ 
ing signs of our times. Year by year the con¬ 
flict deepens; the strife increases, in bitterness and 
class prejudices and animosities • become more 
deep seated. 

Though great moral principles are involved 
in the strife that is being carried on, tactics are 
employed on both sides that are not just. The 
spirit of cruel vindictiveness, leading on one side 
to oppression and on the other to violence, is en¬ 
tering into the conflict, taking it out of the char¬ 
acter of a struggle for righteous principles, and 
constituting a sanguinary battle for supremacy. 

He who holds in His hands the destinies of 
all men, who from the beginning sees clearly the 
end, has pointed out in His infallible word the 
present state of affairs. Not in a single place 
alone, but in several, does the Bible speak on the 
great question now before us. 

God is the Father of the poor, the helper of 
the suffering. The cries of the oppressed laborer 
enter into the ears of Him with whom we have 
to do. Wherever the cry of the oppressed is 
raised, there is One who listens, in whose book 


256 


THE COMING KING. 


of remembrance every sigh and tear is faithfully 
recorded. But the God of pity does not author¬ 
ize men to take upon themselves to requite the 
injuries they receive. u Vengeance is mine; I 
will repay.” This is the word He speaks, and 
we can afford to commit our cause to Him who 
judges righteously. 

We sometimes get the idea that God forgets 
to be just, that judgment is unnecessarily delayed. 
It is true that God delights in mercy; He de¬ 
sires the death of none; He wills that all shall 
be saved, but at the same time He says, “ I will 
be a swift witness against . . . those that oppress 
the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the 
fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from 
his right, and that fear not me, saith the Lord 
of hosts.” Malachi 3 : 5. 

In the law laid down for His people anciently, 
the Lord said, “ Thou shalt not defraud thy neigh¬ 
bor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is 
hired shall not abide with thee all night until 
the morning.” Leviticus 19:13. Many other ci¬ 
tations might be given showing clearly that the 
Lord looks upon fraud and oppression as a griev¬ 
ous sin, one which he will surely requite in the 
judgment. 

But it is clear in the mind of the omniscient 
Lord who inspired the Bible that in the last 
days there would be a clashing in society. The 
Scriptures foretell the very crisis upon which we 
have entered; and they reveal tile true situation. 


WHAT SHALT WE DO t 

and the conclusion toward which this condition is 
inevitably tending. 

The coming of Jesus the King is near. The 
long course of sin and oppression is nearly run; 
but it is not to close without an unusual demon¬ 
stration of its cruel power. A fearful measure 
of punishment is threatened against the self- 
indulgent hoarders of wealth, who have heaped to¬ 
gether treasure for the last days. 

The hire of the laborers who have reaped 
their rich harvests of gold, which is by fraud 
kept back, cries to God. The sufferings of the 
poor appeal to Heaven. And while thousands 
are perishing for the necessities of life because 
they are deprived of the just fruits of their toil, 
the rich are living in wanton luxury. 

The rich have become exceedingly rich. For¬ 
tunes are speedily amassed of such gigantic pro¬ 
portions that the famed Croesus becomes an or¬ 
dinary capitalist, no longer thought of as rich. The 
incomes of these modern princes of mammon sur¬ 
pass their power of computation. The word “mil¬ 
lionaire ” has given place to “ multi-millionaire.” 

While this is going on, the poor are becoming 
poorer in the same proportion. Want, squalor, 
and starvation, predominate among the poor. The 
gulf that separates between wealth and poverty is 
daily becoming broader and deeper. We read 
of blood relatives of the broker who owns count¬ 
less thousands of gold, starving in penury and 
dying as paupers. 


253 


THE COMING KING. 


Exhibitions of wantonness are multiplying all 
around us; and as the poor laborer looks upon 
them, and then thinks of his suffering wife and 
children, he becomes exasperated beyond measure, 
and desperate in his determination to place these 
things on a more just and equitable basis. 

But to rebel against the power of capital is to 
fly in the face of fate; and the worker finds that 
he holds a two-edged sword that cuts both ways. 
It often slays the man alone who wields it. 

To illustrate this we have only to refer to the 
stories of recent strikes. In a race with starva¬ 
tion, the advantage is altogether on the side of 
wealth. A resort to violence will not correct the 
evils that exist. Two wrongs do not make one 
right. It is vain to oppose evil with evil with 
the hope of remedying either. The gospel of 
Jesus Christ presents the only remedy for evil. 
Jesus says, “I say unto you, That ye resist not 
evil.” Matthew 5:39. And so in the chapter 
referred to we have this injunction: “ Be patient 
therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. 
Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious 
fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, 
until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye 
also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming 
of the Lord draweth nigh.” James 5:7, 8. 

The apostle carries the matter even further 
than this, saying, “ Grudge not one against -an¬ 
other, brethren: . . . behold, the Judge standeth 
before' the door.” James 5:8. A cry for retribu- 


WHAT SHALL WE DO ? 259 

tion will soon be heard. A more even distribu¬ 
tion of the results of labor will be demanded. 
The hungry millions will raise the hand to strike. 
But when the cry is raised, “ Let us attack our 
oppressors, and take by force what we need in our 
distress,” the warning comes to the followers of 
Christ, “Grudge not.” This is followed by the 
blessed assurance, “The Judge standeth before 
the door.” He Himself is about to step across 
the threshold, and right all these wrongs. 

In this fifth chapter of James we have a cor¬ 
rect view of the labor question as it exists to-day, 
pointed out nearly two thousand years ago. This 
word tells us that these are the last days; that 
“the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” And 
this fact is the great and only antidote for exist¬ 
ing evils. Wrongs will be made right when Jesus 
comes. The poor will have their rights. 

But in the meantime God would have every 
man lay aside all malicious feeling, and unite in 
a grand effort to prepare for the judgment that is 
soon coming upon the earth. It is not a time to be 
grudging one against another. It is vain to 
strive to obtain our rights by trampling on the 
rights of others, or by taking judgment into our 
own hands. Jesus is soon coming. The King, 
the righteous Judge, is at the door; and He will 
make the crooked straight. At the bar of Infi¬ 
nite Justice, labor and capital will confront each 
other; and we can well afford to wait, committing 
our cause to Him who judgeth righteously. 



headed race; but they bad departed 
from God, and their ability to work iniquity 
was very great. They had refused to obey God’s 
law, and turned from the true God to the wor¬ 
ship of idols. 

So far did they go in iniquity that “ God saw 
that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, 
and that every imagination of the thoughts of 
his heart was only evil continually. ... The 
earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth 
was filled with violence.” Genesis 6:5, 11, 7. 

The world was yet young, but man had so 
departed from God that iniquity and violence pre¬ 
vailed on every side. Finally the Lord declared, 
“ My Spirit shall not always strive with man,” 
and the fiat went forth, “I will destroy man whom 
I have created from the face of the earth.” Gene¬ 
sis 6:3,7. 

Still He gave them an opportunity to repent. 

[260] 





THE DAYS OF NOAH. 


201 


God sent a message to the people by Noah. For 
one hundred and twenty years this faithful ser¬ 
vant of God gave the warning to the world. Not 
only did he preach, but he showed his faith by 
building the ark. All that Noah possessed he 
willingly used in its construction; and every blow 
struck on it was a sermon to the people, a witness 
to the importance of his message. 

Without doubt many at first believed the teach¬ 
ings of Noah; but as the years rolled on, and 
no change came, they joined those who were 
scoffing at his big boat on dry land. They could 
see no change in the earth to indicate that its 
destruction was impending, and so put the mat¬ 
ter out of their minds entirely. 

But when the world had been fully warned, 
and the ark was finished,— when the great pro¬ 
cession of beasts and birds, led by the angels of 
God, had taken their proper places in the ark,— 
the angel shut the door, and mercy departed from 
the unbelieving wicked ones. 

Noah and his family were all that were safe be¬ 
cause shut into the ark of mercy by the power 
of God. The rain fell, something which had never 
occured on the earth before. The lightnings 
flashed, and the* thunders rolled. The fountains 
of the great deep were broken up. All outside 
perished; but the ark rode the stormy billows 
in safety protected by powerful angels of God. 

In our text the Saviour declares that the 
scenes of wickedness and the condition of the 


262 


THE COMING KING. 


earth will be the same just prior to the second 
coming of Christ as they were before the flood. 

“For as in the days that were before the flood 
they were eating and drinking, marrying and 
giving in marriage, until the day that Noe en¬ 
tered into the ark, and knew not until the flood 
came, and took them all away; so shall also the 
coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24: 
38, 39 * 

As the hopes, cares, and busy activities of 
life filled all the heart and claimed all the atten¬ 
tion of the world before the flood, so will it be 
when the end is near. As wickedness, strife, and 
violence filled the earth then, so also, will they 
increase as we near the time for the coming of 
the Lord. 

We have only to look abroad in the land to 
see these specifications fulfilling everywhere. The 
eager chase for wealth, and the mad hurry and 
rush of worldly and business enterprises, were never 
before seen as now, while the increase of wicked¬ 
ness and crime on all hands is appalling. 

God sent Noah to warn the world of its im¬ 
pending doom. He is now sending His servants 
throughout all the world with warnings of the 
last great calamity in store for it. 

But as in the days, of Noah they “ knew not” 
that the flood was coming, so those who refuse 
the light at the present time will “ know not ” 
of the great destruction by fire which is near. 

Speaking of this time, the Apostle Peter says: 


THE DAYS OF NOAH. 


263 


a Knowing this first, that there shall come in the 
last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 
and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? 
for since the fathers fell asleep, all things con¬ 
tinue as they were from the beginning of the 
creation.” 2 Peter 3:3, 4. 

The people before the flood walked in their 
own way and scoffed at Noah. I11 the last days 
they will be pursuing the same course, and scoffing 
at the message of the final overthrow. “ Where 
is there anything in nature to show that these 
terrible things are coming?” “Day and night, 
summer and winter, seed-time and harvest, come 
and go just as they always have since creation.” 

No; they have not. “For this they willingly 
are ignorant of, that by the word of God the 
heavens were of old, and the earth standing out 
of the water and in the water: whereby the world 
that then was, being overflowed with water, per¬ 
ished : but the heavens and the earth, which are now, 
by the same word are kept in store, reserved 
unto fire against the day of judgment and per¬ 
dition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3 : 5-7. 

A few more days, and the cup of iniquity of the 
world will be filled to the brim, and the angel of 
mercy will again leave the earth. Finally the 
fires of the great day of God will break forth, 
and destroy the earth by fire, as it was destroyed 
by water nearly four thousand years ago. 



approaches, “iniquity” shall “abound.” Paul 
says: “ But evil men and seducers shall wax 
worse and worse.” 2 Timothy 3:13. 


A glance, only, at passing events will con¬ 
vince one that these scriptures are literally ful¬ 
filling all around ns. The increase of drunken¬ 
ness, pauperism, and crime is absolutely startling. 

In a sermon by Henry Ward Beecher, preached 
Nov. 15, 1868, he said : “The want of indignation 
at flagrant wickedness is one of the alarming 
symptoms of our times. We are living in the 
midst of an amount of corruption second only to 
to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Rev. Mr. McAllister said, in a sermon deliv¬ 
ered at Philadelphia in 1871: “The dishonesty, 
the profanity, the drunkenness, the licentiousness, 
[264] 






INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND. 265 

of a large proportion of our public men are sim¬ 
ply notorious.” 

In March, 1872, the Watchman and Reflector 
said : “ Bank robberies, ring despotisms, official cor¬ 
ruptions, domestic tragedies, garrotings, burglaries, 
suicides,— these come in upon us like tidal waves, 
so constant and regular in their visitation that 
we are no longer startled by them.” 

The following is from the Christian Union of 
Nov. 4, 1874: “ It is not to be denied that cor¬ 
ruption, in both private and public life, is lament¬ 
ably frequent; that crime of every grade abounds; 
and that men in all the relations of life exhibit 
a degree of selfishness which shows that the mil¬ 
lennium is yet afar off.” 

It cannot be denied that intemperance is the 
great, the crying evil of our time. Yet its enor¬ 
mity, as it really exists, is seldom appreciated. 

* There is a cry in the land against the oppres¬ 
sion of the rich. There is a demand for bread for 
the poor. There is reason enough for all this ; but 
there is a terrible slavery worse than that which is 
caused by the oppression of the monopolists and 
money kings. 

As far back as 1887, it was shown by the re¬ 
port of the Commissioner of International Reve¬ 
nue that for that year there was expended in the 
United States $600,000,000 for tobacco, and $900, 
000,000 for liquor. By an examination of the ac¬ 
companying table some idea can be had of the 
enormous expenditure of material, labor, and money 


266 


THE COMING KING. 


in the manufacture and consumption of these poi¬ 
sonous products. If these habits were wiped out 
of our land, it would result in a saving sufficient 
to feed, clothe, educate, and evangelize the whole 
country. (See note at foot of page. * ) 

The influence of these debasing habits on the 
young is truly awful, and what may we expect 
from the rising generation, brought up under 
such conditions? The liquor dealers are alive to 
the situation, and are looking to the youth as their 
patrons for the future. In one of the Central 
States the Liquor Dealers’ Association is reported 
as Advocating a line of missionary work among 
the young, to create in them a love for liquor. 
This was to offset the various temperence move¬ 
ments, which are cutting into their business. 

* TOBACCO. 

1902. —Total product in the U. S.,—821,823,963 pounds, valued at $57,563,510. 

1903. —Number of cigars manufactured in the U. S.,—7,426,890,403. 

“ “ “ cigarettes “ “ “ 3,031-563,668. 

Total male population in the U. S. in 1900,—39,059,242. 

In 1903, therefore, there was manufactured in the United States a sufficient 
number of cigars and cigarettes to supply every man and boy with 190 cigars, 
and 78 cigarettes, at a cost of $1.47. 

LIQUORS, WINES, AND BEERS. 

1903.—Number of gallons cf fermented liquors produced in the United States, 
M69.497.995- 

1903.—Number of gallons of fermented liquors imported in the United States, 
12,090,378. 

Grand total.. 1,481,588,377 gallons. 

In 1902, the number of gallons of liquor consumed in the United States was 

I >539> oSl ,99 * I > or about 21 gallons for every man, woman, and child. 

In 1902, the number of bushels of grain used in the production of spirits in 
the United States, was 27,487,331, producing 123,847304 gallons, or 1.62 gallons 
for every man, woman, and child. 

In 1897, in wine alone, the world produced 2,843,478,920 gallons, which was 
1.75 gallons for, possibly, every man, woman, and child on the earth. 

In 1899 the world produced 5,250,000,000 gallons of beer, which was over 3 
gallons for every man, woman, and child in the world, the total population of 
the earth being estimated at 1,440,650,000 human beings. 




INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND. 267 

In countries outside the United States the 
same evils prevail. 

In England there is consumed annually thirty- 
five gallons of malt liquor per capita, as com¬ 
pared with eleven gallons in the United States. 

Ireland, the poorest country in the world, 
spends annually about 11,000,000, or $55,000, 
000, in drink. 

In Russia the greatest item of revenue is that 
derived from brandy. 

In Belgium there is a dram-shop for every 
six or seven persons, and the working classes 
spend annually about 55,000,000 francs, or $11, 
000,000, for alcoholic drinks. 

In France it is said that “ drunkenness is the 
beginning and the ending of life in the great 
French industrial centers.” It is estimated that 
at Lille, one-fourth of the men and one-eighth 
of the women are confirmed drunkards. 

Mr. Labaree, a missionary to Persia, writes : 
“ There is scarcely a community to be found 
where the blighting influences of intemperance 
are not to be seen in families distressed and ruined, 
property squandered, character destroyed, and 
lives lost.” 

The Encyclopedia Britannica informs us that 
annually Germany and Prussia use about twenty 
gallons of beer and two and one-third gallons of 
spirits per capita. 

But turning from the terrible records of in¬ 
temperance and crime which are flooding the 


268 


THE COMING KING. 


earth, all naturally expect to find in the professed 
followers of Christ an element free from these 
taints of sin and folly, waging an unceasing war¬ 
fare against evil and iniquity of every kind. 

But on this point we find the Word of God 
speaking plainly. The Apostle Paul says: “ This 
know also, that in the last days perilous times 
shall come. For men shall be lovers of their 
own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, 
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, with¬ 
out natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, 
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are 
good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleas¬ 
ures more than lovers of God; having a form of 
godliness, but denying the power thereof.” 2 Tim¬ 
othy 3:1-5. These denunciations are made against 
those who have a form of godliness. They are 
church Christians, but have never known the 
power of true godliness. 

A church which allows among its members 
such sins as those mentioned by Paul, cannot be 
standing in the light which will surround God’s 
rrue church on earth. The inevitable conclusion 
is that such churches have fallen, that they oc¬ 
cupy the position of Babylon, as described in so 
many places in the Book of Revelation, for Baby¬ 
lon means confusion. The refusal to follow the 
precious light of God’s Word has brought con¬ 
fusion and iniquity into many churches of the 
day. Yet in them there are many honest souls 
who deplore these evils. To such the message 


INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND. 269 

comes with the sound of a bugle call: “Come 
out of her my people , that ye be not partakers, 
of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” 
Revelation 18:4. 

What is the condition of the popular churches 
of to-day? Let their own leaders tell. 

Rev. Geo. F. Pentecost, in the Christian States¬ 
man of Jan. 8, 1876, says: “A confession can be 
had from the lips of the pastors of most of our 
churches, that in our midst there are wicked, un¬ 
holy, corrupt men who maintain their position, 
and are saved from a righteous discipline either 
by their wealth or their social position.” 

Says Robert Atkins, in a sermon preached in 
London: “The truly righteous are diminished 
from earth, and no man layeth it to heart. The 
professors of religion of the present day, in every 
church, are lovers of the world, conformers to the 
world, lovers of creature comfort, and aspirers af¬ 
ter respectability.” 

H. Mattison, D. D., in “ Popular Amusements,” 
says: “ You Methodists, who were once poor and 
unknown, but have grown rich and prominent in 
the world, have left the narrow way in which you 
walked twenty or thirty years ago, have ceased 
to attend class-meetings, seldom pray in your fam¬ 
ilies or in prayer-meetings, as you once did; and 
you are now indulging in many of the fashionable 
amusements of the day, such as playing chess, 
dominoes, billiards, and cards, dancing, and attend- 
ding theaters, or are allowing your children to 
indulge in them.” 


270 


THE COMING KING. 


Prof. S. C. Bartlett, of Chicago, says in the 
New York Independent: “Religion now is in a 
different position from Methodism then. To a 
certain extent it is a very reputable thing. Chris¬ 
tianity is, in our day, something of a success. 
Men 4 speak well of it.’ Ex-presidents and states¬ 
men have been willing to round off their career 
with a recognition of its claims, and the popular¬ 
ity of religion tends vastly to increase the num¬ 
ber of those who would secure its benefits with¬ 
out squarely meeting its duties. The church 
courts the world, and the world caresses the church. 
The line of separation between the godly and 
irreligious fades out into a kind of penumbra, 
and zealous men on both sides are toiling to 
obliterate all difference between their modes of 
action and enjoyment.” 

Mr. Moody uttered the following scathing words 
in a sermon delivered at Baltimore: “Your fairs 
and your bazaars won’t do, and your voting, your 
casting of ballots for the most popular man or 
the most popular woman, just helps along their 
vanity. It grieves the Spirit; it offends God. 
They have got so far now that for twenty-five 
cents young men can come in and kiss the hand¬ 
somest woman in the room. Think of this! 
Look at the church lotteries going on in New 
York, Before God, I would rather preach in any 
barn, or in the most miserable hovel on earth, 
than within the walls of a church paid for in 
such a way.” 



Christ not only foretold what He would do in 
the future, but He also forewarned His disciples 
of what the enemy would do to deceive them and 
cause their destruction. False christs and false 
prophets were to arise, and by the use of miracu¬ 
lous powers, which they possessed, and which were 
of satanic origin, would deceive the people. False 
christs, however, existed before the true Messiah 
was manifested in the flesh. 

In every age since the ascension of Christ 
there have arisen men, who, either as false christs 
or as false prophets, have deceived the people. 
Said Christ, “ Take heed that ye be not deceived: 
for many shall come in my name, saying, I am 
Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not 
therefore after them.” Luke 21:8. 

I11 the beginning of the second century after 
Christ, a false prophet, claiming to be the star 











272 the coming king. 

foretold by Balaam, deceived many of the Jews, 
raised an insurrection, and having involved them 
in war with the Romans by which many thousands 
were slain, perished with them in battle. 

At different times, during many centuries, the 
Jews have been stirred by some impostor who, 
by proclaiming himself to be the Messiah, has re¬ 
vived their hopes of a restoration of Israel. All 
these perished without fulfilling any of the great 
expectations that were based upon them. 

Mohammed, though not pretending to be a 
Christ, was nevertheless a “ false prophet.” Born 
at Mecca, Arabia, he was the originator of the re¬ 
ligion that bears his name. This religion has 
been established both by persuasion and by the 
sword, and twice did the followers of Mohammed 
almost sweep Christianity from the earth. They 
now number about two hundred million, and a 
high authority declares that “ no other faith offers 
so stubborn a resistance to the spread of Chris¬ 
tianity.” 

The prophecy of Christ, however, make these 
words of warning in regard to false christs and 
false prophets, apply with peculiar force just at 
the time when His second coming is near. The 
prophecy shows that as the attention of the world 
will be called to the nearness of the Lord’s com¬ 
ing, and the expectation of that event is aroused 
in the minds of the people, Satan will bestir 
himself to furnish false teachers who will claim 
that their work is the coming of Christ. Hence 


FALSE CHRISTS. 


273 


the doctrine taught by many ministers of the 
gospel that Christ will never literally come again, 
that His coming is only a spiritual coming 
in increased knowledge and worldly prosperity. 
Others teach that the world is to be converted 
before the coming of the Lord. 

The Mormons, who established themselves in 
the wild wilderness of Utah, come within the com¬ 
pass of Christ’s warning words: “ Wherefore if 
they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the 
desert, go not forth.” Matthew 24 : 26. 

Modern Spiritualism is evidently the work of 
lying, seducing spirits. Many of the devotees 
of this great delusion have put forth the claim 
that the predictions of Christ’s second coming 
were fulfilled in the dissemination of the doctrines 
of Spiritualism. 

Spiritualists, almost universally, deny the atone¬ 
ment of Christ, and teach that every man is his 
own Saviour. Of these the apostle says : “ There 
shall be false teachers among you, who privily 
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying 
the Lord that bought them, and bring upon them¬ 
selves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1. Spirit¬ 
ualists have claimed that they were Christ,— that 
all good men are Christ. They invite us to their 
secret seances, but Christ has told us if they say, 
“ He is in the secret chambers, believe it not.” 

Christian Science is presented to us as the 
coming of Christ. A writer in the Christian 
Science Journal of October, 1897, referring to the 


274 


THE COMING KING. 


fact that there was an expectation in the minds 
of many persons that Christ would come in 1866, 
asks : a Was it a coincidence that Christian Science 
should have been discovered in the year 1866? 
. . . There is no reason for expecting that the 
beginning of the new dispensation should be so 
very different from the years preceding it, that is, 
from the standpoint of mortal man. Are not 
all God’s works performed through the still, small 
voice? It was in this manner, and in this year 
of 1866, that Rev. Mary Baker Eddy discovered 
Christian Science, which, from the testimony of 
Jesus and the apostles, we feel sure is the second 
coming of Christ.” 

But Christian Science is not the second com¬ 
ing of Christ. It will be more than a still, small 
voice, for “the Lord Himself shall descend from 
heaven with a shout , with the voice of the arch¬ 
angel, and with the trump of God.” 1 Thessa- 
lonians 4:16. Christ will then be “ revealed from 
heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire 
taking vengeance on them that know not God, 
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus 
Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1 : 7, 8. 

Christ has Himself declared that He will 
come as He went away, in the clouds of heaven; 
that every eye shall see Him; that His bright¬ 
ness and glory shall be like the lightning shin¬ 
ing from the eastern to the western horizon. If 
we believe His words, we shall not be deceived 
by the numerous cries of “Lo, here,” or “ Lo, 
there.” 



know that It Is near, even at tbe doors*” 
Matthew 24:32, 33. 


In Matthew 24:3, the disciples ask the ques¬ 
tion, “ What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and 
of the end of the world?” Most carefully does 
the Lord answer this question. He first reviews 
the great events which were to take place on 
the earth. Jerusalem was to be destroyed; the 
elect, or true people of God, were to pass through 
the most terrible period of persecution which 
had ever come upon God’s people. The nations 
of the earth were to be rent with wars, and per¬ 
plexed and distressed with the rumors and alarms 
of war. Great calamities were to come upon the 
earth, such as famines, pestilences, and earth¬ 
quakes. These were to become more frequent 
and desolating until the final plagues of God 
should end in its destruction. 

[275] 




276 


THE COMING KING. 


As the days of this world’s history should 
draw to a close, our Saviour promised that un¬ 
mistakable and striking signs would appear in 
the heavens. The sun would be darkened; the 
moon would refuse to give her light; and the 
stars would fall from heaven. 

These were to be tokens of Christ’s coming; 
for He says: “ Then shall appear the sign of the 
Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the 
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the 
Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with 
power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30. 

In preceding chapters of this book an account 
has been given of the accurate fulfillment of these 
signs as predicted by the Lord. And yet the 
world seems to be asleep as to their thrilling 
import. Within the lifetime of the people now 
living, the heavens have been ablaze with the 
glory of these very signs which the Lord said 
were to proclaim to the world that its end is near, 
and that the second coming to the earth of the 
Creator and Redeemer is the next event before 
them. 

But it is Satan’s chief purpose to lull the 
world to sleep, so that these signs and the warn¬ 
ing message of God’s servants will have no more 
effect on the people of the present day, than did 
the preaching of Noah on the people who lived 
in the days that were before the flood. 

The Saviour knew that this would be the case, 
and so He sounds the warning: “ Take heed that 


parable of the fig-tree. 


2 77 


no man deceive you.” Verse 4. There are two 
ways in which we may be deceived in regard to 
the coming of the Lord. One is to believe that 
He has come when He has not, and the other 
is to deny the signs that He has given to show 
that His coming is near, and so be found un¬ 
believing and unprepared at His coming. 

The signs foretold by our Saviour were given 
that men might know of His coming. This may 
be seen by the following parable: “ Now learn a 
parable of the fig-tree: when his branch is yet 
tender, and puttetli forth leaves, ye know that 
summer is nigh : so likewise ye, when ye shall 
see all these things, know that it [margin, “ He,” 
Christ”] is near, even at the doors.” 

When the trees begin to bud and put forth 
leaves, we know that summer is near. No one 
will presume to deny it. It is a sign that never 
fails. To those who will heed this warning, 
Christ states that the signs He has given are 
just as positive evidence that His coming is near, 
“ even at the door.” 

“ These things ” to which Christ refers as signs 
of His near coming, are given in Luke 21:25, 26: 
“ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the 
moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth dis¬ 
tress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the 
waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, 
and for looking after those things which are com¬ 
ing on the earth.” 

These signs could not be given in the times 


278 


THE COMING KING. 


of Christ or His apostles. They could be fulfilled 
only in the “time of the end,” spoken of in 
Daniel 12. 

We are living in an age when “all these 
things ” have been fulfilled, or are transpiring all 
around us. Let history respond to the great proph¬ 
ecy of our Saviour, as found in the 24th chap¬ 
ter of the gospel as recorded by Matthew. 

Jerusalem was destroyed within forty years of 
the giving of this prophecy. (See Luke 21:20, 
21). The great tribulation of Matthew 24:21, 22, 
is in the past. The sun was darkened May 19, 
1780. The falling of the stars occurred Nov. 13, 
1:833. Wars and rumors of wars are becoming 
more frequent and startling. Distress and per¬ 
plexity are spread upon all nations, and the enor¬ 
mous standing armies are taxing the resources of 
the world. The awful tidal waves, and the more 
frequently recurring cyclones and earthquakes, 
show that God’s restraining hand is being removed, 
and the prince of the power of the air is permit¬ 
ted to work out his evil purposes in the destruc¬ 
tive elements of wind and water. Famine and 
pestilence are abroad in the land. Says Christ: 

“ Now learn a parable of the fig-tree: When 
his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, 
ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye 
when ye shall see all these things, know that it is 
near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, 
This generation shall not pass, till all these things 
be fulfilled.” Matthew 24 : 32-34. 



Stretch Tot her hinds unto 6 od!> Matthew 24:14- 


No great judgment Has ever been brought 
upon the earth without a warning being given to 
those concerned upon whom it would fall. Be¬ 
fore the flood the world was warned by Noah. 
Jonah was sent to Nineveh. Angels from heaven 
carried the message of impending doom to Sodom 
and Gomorrah. Isaiah and Jeremiah foretold the 
Babylonish captivity of the Jews, and the Saviour 
warned the Jews of the final overthrow of their 
city and nation. 

Our chapter heading contains the statement 
that before the coming of Christ and the setting 
up of His everlasting kingdom, the gospel, or 
good news pertaining to it, shall go to all the na¬ 
tions of the world. It is a world-wide message. 

This text does not state that all the world will 
be converted. The Scriptures clearly show that 
but few will accept the message; but all will have 

[ 279 1 











THE COMING KING. 


280 

the opportunity of hearing it, and preparing to meet 
their Lord if they desire to do so. In the great 
judgment-day the unprepared will stand without 
excuse; for to earth’s remotest bounds this gos¬ 
pel will be proclaimed, and this fact will be a 
witness against those who refuse to hear the mes¬ 
sage, and against those who reject it. 

Already this gospel of the soon coming of our 
Lord has gone to nearly all the nations of the earth. 
Believers in it are to be found among all denomina¬ 
tions and in many pulpits. Missionaries are going 
to all lands, to the islands of the sea, and penetrat¬ 
ing into the interior of countries heretofore unap¬ 
proached by civilization. The Bible is printed 
and circulated in almost every known language, 
and God has forces already at command with which 
to close this message of Matthew 24 114 in a very 
short time. All this is but another evidence that 
the coming King is at the door. 

THE DAY AND HOUR. 

“ But of that day and hour knoweth no man.” Matthew 24 : 36. 

This text is often used to prove that nothing 
can be known in regard to the nearness of the 
coming of Christ. But what does the Bible say ? 
Matthew 24 gives certain signs that are to occur 
in the heavens. Then the statement is made: 
“ When ye shall see all these things, know that it is 
near, even at the doors.” Verse 33. 

Hence we may know when our Lord’s appear¬ 
ing is “near even at the doors;” but we cannot 


GOSPEL TO ALL NATIONS. 


2 Sl 


know the “day and hour.” The exact time the 
Lord has kept in His own hands. People have, 
from time to time, claimed to know the exact date 
of the coming of Christ. The Lord says we shall 
not know this; hence when any one makes such 
a claim, it is positive evidence that he is wrong. 

But, says one, the apostle Paul writes: “Of 
the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no 
need that I write unto you. For yourselves know 
perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh a? 
a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2. 

This is taken to prove that the matter has 
been fully settled, and so there is no need of giving 
it any further attention. But notice carefully 
what Paul says further on this subject: “ But ye, 
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should 
overtake you as a thief.” Verse 4. 

There is a class, however, upon whom this day 
will come as a thief. “ For when they shall say, 
Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh 
upon them; . . . and they shall not escape.” 
Verse 3. 

Those who are studying God’s Word, and are 
treasuring every ray of light from its pages, will 
not be left in darkness. This light will show 
them when “it is near, even at the doors.” Hence 
in Mark 13:35 the Lord commands us to “ watch.” 
For what? — For evidences in His Word that His 
coming is near, so that His people may know, 
and be prepared to receive Him “ with joy ” when 
He appears. 


282 


THE COMING KING. 


But to those who are not watching, who cry 
“peace and safety,” and say that we can know 
nothing about it, the King will come as a thief, 
and their end will be destruction. 

Of this class are those spoken of by the Sav¬ 
iour : “But and if that evil servant shall say in 
his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall 
begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and 
drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant 
shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, 
and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall 
cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with 
the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnash¬ 
ing of teeth.” Matthew 24:48-51. 

It is important that we know when the com¬ 
ing of the Lord is near. Especial preparation is 
necessary for that event; and if we neglect the 
warning given, that great day will overtake us as 
a thief, and we shall share the recompense of the 
ungodly. 

But by those who have been watching and wait¬ 
ing for their Lord, that day will be hailed with 
joy, and the glad cry will go up, as they see the 
sign of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven, 
“Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, 
and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have 
waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in 
His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9. 


^ T* ■ 





WE Hug" 

mother Left. 


women shall he grinding at the mill; the 
one shall he tahen, and the other left” 
Matthew 24: 41. 


When our Lord, returns to this earth, He will 
find two classes of people. One class will have 
complied with the overtures of the gospel, and so 
will be accepted. The other class will have re¬ 
fused the offers of mercy, and will be rejected. 

Some will doubtless be deceived as to their true 
condition up to the very coming of Christ to earth. 
He says: “ Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, 
Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in 
Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name 
done many wonderful works? And then will I 
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from 
Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22, 23. 

There will therefore be a class of professed 
Christians who will be rejected of the Lord. The 
testimony on this point is plain: “Not every one 
that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into 
the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the 

[283] 





284 


THE COMING KING. 


will of My Father which is in heaven.” Mat¬ 
thew 7:21. 

We may belong to the church; our profession 
may be as high as heaven; blit these things will 
not be considered in the great judgment-day. The 
question that will decide destinies for eternity is, 
Have you done “the will of My Father?” 

The Bible is God’s written will to us. It is 
His explanation to us of the only way by which 
we can be saved. In the judgment-day our ac¬ 
tions will be compared with the Book of Instruc¬ 
tion, and our cases will be decided accordingly. 
If we have accepted the overtures of mercy as 
offered through Christ, and have done the will of 
the Father, an “ abundant entrance ” to the final 
reward will be granted us. If we have chosen our 
own way, or have followed the teachings of men 
instead of the Word of God, the sentence will be, 
“I never knew you: depart from Me.” 

Those who do the will of God belong to the 
kingdom of God. All who do not obey God be¬ 
long to the kingdom of Satan, no matter how moral 
and upright they may be outwardly. Of such 
Christ says, “ He that is not with Me is against 
Me ; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth 
abroad.” Matthew 12:30. There is no neutral 
ground; we are either gathering with Christ, or 
we are scattering abroad with Satan. 

A profession of religion and membership in the 
church will not save us, nor make our influence 
right here upon the earth. The Jews had a pro- 


ONE TAKEN, ANOTHER LEFT. 285 

fession the highest the world has ever known, 
and their church requirements were very rigid; 
but their principles of service were wrong, and 
they crucified the Lord of life. 

The Jews claimed that they were the children 
of Abraham; that they were heirs to the promises 
made to him, and so, of course, that they were 
perfectly safe. But John the Baptist told them 
not to make that claim as it would not hold; for 
their hearts were not right before God, who, the 
Saviour declared, was “able of these stones to 
raise up children unto Abraham.” Matthew 3 : 9. 
The securing of eternal life is an individual work, 
regardless of birth, church relationship, or any 
profession we may make. 

Neither does God judge from outward appear¬ 
ance. It is not our acts alone that will be taken 
into account. “ For the Lord seeth not as man 
seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appear¬ 
ance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Sam¬ 
uel 16:7. Our character must be right before 
God can give us the final reward. Our thoughts 
and desires often influence our character more than 
do our words and actions. 

The force and application of the words of Mat¬ 
thew 24:40, 41, are very clear: “Then shall two 
be in the field ; the one shall be taken, and the 
other left. Two women shall be grinding at the 
mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” 

No matter how close the association may be, 
God knows those who are truly His. Two men 


2 £6 


THE COMING KING. 


may work side by side in the field, in the shop, 
or in the office. Both may have their names on 
the same church record. The one may have made 
his peace with Heaven, while the other, by disbe¬ 
lief of the truth sent from the Lord, will stand 
among the rejected. 

The old custom of grinding the family supply 
of flour is also taken to show the closeness of the 
final test. Two women join together to do their 
grinding, as shown in the picture at the head of 
this article. The one may be a member of God’s 
kingdom on earth, and so be fitted for the won¬ 
derful home Christ is preparing, while the other 
may still belong to the kingdom of the enemy. 

The godly character of our most intimate as¬ 
sociates, even though they may be the best loved 
of our own household, will not save us .. Each 
individual must make his own peace with Heaven. 
For “though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and 
Job, were in” the land, “they should deliver but 
their own souls.” Ezekiel 14:14. “The son 
shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither 
shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the 
righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, 
and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon 
him. But if the wicked will turn from all his 
sins that he hath committed, and keep all My 
statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, 
he shall surely live, he shall not die.” Ezekiel 
18: 20, 21. 



AbraKam, the Father of the faithful. 

StTPUE- 

•Israel 


I wifi multiply thy ^eed 65 fheyar,* 0/hfcdv&lV,' 


0 &brabam and bis seed were tbe prom* 
fees made/' “ nr ye be Cbrist’s, then 
are ye Mrabam’s seed, and belrs accord* 
fag to tbe promise,” <Balatians3:16, 29 ♦ 


Not more than four hundred 
years after the flood, and before 
Shem, the son of Noah, was dead, nearly all 
the descendants of Noah had turned to the wor¬ 
ship of idols. Even the family of Shem had gone 
into idolatry. But Abraham, amid all the super¬ 
stition and heathenism which surrounded him, 
remained true to God. The Lord finally left the 
hardened transgressors, and chose Abraham to 
represent Him in the earth. 

In order that Abraham and his family might 
not be influenced by the idolatry of his father’s 
house, the Lord said to him: “ Get thee out of 
thy country, and from thy kindred, and from 
thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show 
thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and 
I will bless thee, and make thy name great: and 
thou shalt be a blessing.” Genesis 12:1, 2. 

[287] 

















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THE TRUE ISRAEL. 


289 


Relying on the promises of God, Abraham 
left his father’s house, and dwelt in the land of 
Canaan. Genesis 12:5. Here the Lord met him, 
and said to him: “ Lift up now thine eyes, and 
look from the place where thou art northward, 
and southward, and eastward, and westward; for 
all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give 
it, and to thy seed forever.” Genesis 13:14, 15. 

Paul says that this promise meant that Abra¬ 
ham “ should be heir of the world.” Romans 4: 
13. But although Israel, the nation which sprang 
from Abraham, dwelt in the earthly Canaan, they 
never fully subdued it, nor extended their king¬ 
dom permanently beyond their own borders. Hence 
the promise made to Abraham, as explained by 
Paul, has never yet been complete^ fulfilled. 

The promise to Abraham was twofold: First , 
Israel was to dwell in the land of promise on 
the earth; but this only partially fulfilled the 
promise. Secondly , the final fulfillment of this 
promise reaches over to the new earth. There 
the true Israel will forever enjoy in their fulness 
all the blessings promised to Abraham. 

Paul, in speaking of ancient Israel, which be¬ 
came “ so many as the stars of the sky for mul¬ 
titude, and as the sand which is by the seashore 
innumerable,” says of them: “These all died in 
faith, not having received the promises, but hav¬ 
ing seen them afar off\ and were persuaded of 
them, and embraced them, and confessed that they 
were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” He¬ 
brews 11 : 12, 13. 


290 


THE COMING KING. 


This makes it very plain that Israel did not 
consider that the promise made to their fathers 
had yet been fulfilled to them. They declared 
that they were “strangers and pilgrims on the 
earth,” and Paul says, “ They that say such things 
declare plainly that they seek a country; ” and 
that “ they desire a better country, that is, a 
heavenly.” Verses 13, 14, 16. 

Of Abraham we read that “by faith he so¬ 
journed in the land of promise, as in a strange 
country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and 
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 
for he looked for a city which hath foundations, 
whose builder and maker is God.” Verses 9, 10. 

Abraham looked forward to the time when the 
earth made new should be his home. Through 
faith he saw a mansion for himself in the New 
Jerusalem, which our Saviour is building in 
heaven for the faithful. See John 14:1-3. 

Paul, more than thirty years this side of Christ, 
speaks of this promise made to Abraham as the 
hope of the Christian. He compares it to “ an 
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” 
Hebrews 6:19. He says that this hope is the 
promise made to Abraham. 

But how can this promise apply to the literal 
children of Abraham, and to the Gentile Chris¬ 
tians as well? Paul argues that only those who 
are true to God belong to the true Israel. “ For 
they are not all Israel, which are of Israel; 
neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, 
are they all children.” See Romans 9:6-8. 


THE TRUE ISRAEL. 


29I 


Only those of the seed of Abraham who are 
true to God are counted by him as Israel. The 
Jews rejected and crucified their Lord. They 
showed that they had entirely lost the character¬ 
istics which made Abraham the father of the 
faithful. Hence, though of the seed of Abra¬ 
ham, they are not numbered with Israel. 

Paul teaches that the true Israel is made up 
of all who are true to God. “If ye be Christ’s, 
then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according 
to the promise.” Galatians 3:29. By faith in 
Christ we are accepted as the true Israel, and 
heirs to all that was promised to Abraham. 

The prophet says of the Jewish people: “The 
Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, 
and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great 
tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the 
branches of it are broken.” Jeremiah 11 : 16. 
The stock of the true Israel is here called “ the 
green olive tree;” but as the Jewish branches 
had proved unworthy of the stock, they were 
broken off. Paul tells how their places were 
filled *. “ And if some of the branches be broken 
off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed 
in among them, . . . boast not against the 
branches.” Romans 11:17,18. 

How, then, do we Gentiles become of the true 
Israel? — By being grafted into the stock where 
the literal branches of Israel were broken off. 
Paul exhorts as follows: “Thou wilt say then, 
The branches were broken off that I might be 


292 THE COMING KING. 

grafted in. Well, because of unbelief they were 
broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not 
high-minded, but fear; for if God spared not 
the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare 
not thee.” Verses 19-21. 

Paul further declares that “ all Israel shall be 
saved.” Verse 26. This refers to the true Israel, 
which becomes so by accepting Christ. See Ga¬ 
latians 3 : 29. John the Baptist, when reproving 
the haughty Pharisees and Sadducees, said: “ Think 
not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham 
to our father; for I say unto you, that God is 
able of these stones to raise up children unto Abra¬ 
ham.” Matthew 3:9. 

When Christ comes to earth to gather out of 
it those who are true to Him, there will be found 
one hundred and forty-four thousand belonging to 
the true Israel, who will be translated without 
tasting death. When their cases are finally de¬ 
cided, or “sealed,” they will be equally divided 
among the twelve tribes of the children of Israel,— 
Christian Israel,— twelve thousand to each tribe. 
See Revelation 7:4. 

The twelve gates of the New Jerusalem will 
bear the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and 
it is reasonable to suppose that each tribe will 
enter through its own gate. Revelation 21 : 12. 
None but Israelites will enter the New Jerusalem. 



possession of this world for nearly six thousand 
years. Originally the earth belonged to man; 
for God gave it to him at creation. When man 
chose to obey Satan rather than God, he left the 
service of his Creator, and entered the service of 
Satan. In conquering man Satan became the mas¬ 
ter and man became his servant, and so man lost 
his dominion of the earth, it passing into the 
hands of Satan, his conqueror. Paul tells how 
this was done in the following words: “ Know ye 
not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to 
obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey ? ” 
Romans 6: 16. 

God designed that man should retain posses¬ 
sion of the earth it having been made for him, 
for God said to him: “ Be fruitful, and multiply, 
and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have 
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the 
fowl of the air, and over every living thing that 
moveth upon the earth.’’ Genesis 1:28. 

[293] 





294 


THE COMING KING. 


God’s purpose in regard to this earth will 
finally be carried out. Hear what the Lord says 
through His prophet: “For thus saith the Lord 
that created the heavens; God Himself that formed 
the earth and made it; He hath established it, 
He created it not in vain, He formed it to be in¬ 
habited : I am the Lord; and there is none else.” 
Isaiah 45 :18. 

God’s purpose will not fail of fulfillment, even 
though sin and wickedness may control this earth 
for thousands of years. Satan may exult in his 
apparent overthrow of God’s designs, but his tri¬ 
umph will be short. From out of the many gen¬ 
erations which have dwelt on the earth, a people 
will be gathered which have been true to God 
and His government, and to them, through Christ, 
shall come “the first dominion.” Micah 4:8. 

Of this time we read in Daniel 7:18: “But 
the saints of the Most High shall take the king¬ 
dom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for¬ 
ever and ever.” This refers to the full and final 
restoration of this earth, and its passing into the 
possession of the people of God. 

Even now two kingdoms exist in the earth. 
One is the kingdom of God, a kingdom of right¬ 
eousness, set up by Christ. The other is the 
kingdom of evil, set up by Satan. The existence 
of these two kingdoms is recognized by Christ in 
Matthew 12:26, 28. 

Satan’s rule has been one long period of de¬ 
ception, wickedness, cruelty, and oppression. His 


EMIGRATION. 


295 


kingdom is a frightful despotism, and the princi¬ 
ples of his government are summed up in few 
words: Opposition to God and all the principles 
of His government. His motto: “Evil, be thou 
my goody 

Through sin all the human family belong to 
the kingdom of Satan. By the sacrifice and medi¬ 
ation of the Son of God, a way has been opened 
by which those who do not love the government 
of Satan can leave it, and return to the govern¬ 
ment and kingdom of God. Unless we accept 
the principles of God’s government, and are trans¬ 
ferred into his kingdom, we remain subjects of 
Satan’s kingdom, and will surely perish with him 
in that day when all the enemies of God’s gov¬ 
ernment are destroyed. 

Those who accept the offers of Christ no longer 
belong to the kingdom of Satan. They have given 
allegiance to the government of God, and have 
become citizens of the kingdom of Christ. Paul 
says of this change, “Who hath delivered us 
from the power of darkness, and hath translated 
us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” Colos- 
sians 1:13. 

The change from the evil of Satan’s kingdom 
to the righteousness of the kingdom of Christ is 
spoken of as a “translation.” We may well ac¬ 
cept the term, for the change that takes place in 
the righteous when they are finally translated at 
the coming of our Lord, can be no greater than 
that which takes place in the sinner when he 
















EMIGRATION. 


297 

leaves the service of sin and Satan for the serv¬ 
ice of Christ and its purity. 

Those who have thus been “ translated ” no 
longer belong to the kingdom of Satan, and 
hence have ceased to be citizens of this world. 
The patriarchs recognized this truth, “and con¬ 
fessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on 
the earth.” Hebrews 11:13. 

Abraham realized that this sinful, fallen earth, 
was not his home: “For he looked for a city 
which hath foundations, whose builder and maker 
is God.” Hebrews 11 : 10. This is the city of the 
New Jerusalem, which Christ went to prepare 
according to His promise in John 14:1-3, and 
which is finally to descend upon the earth, and 
become its capital city. This city and its “foun¬ 
dations,” which Abraham expected to behold, are 
described in Revelation 21. 

But none will be allowed to enter that “ bet¬ 
ter country” unless it shall be known that they 
will be good citizens. John declares that “there 
shall in nowise enter into it anything that defil- 
eth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or 
maketh a lie : but they which are written in the 
Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21-27. 

There was sin, discord, and rebellion in heaven 
once, and it brought sorrow into all the universe 
of God. Never again will it be permitted to enter. 
So every one who desires to emigrate to that bet¬ 
ter country must be thoroughly tried here. By 
this trial we become fitted for a home with God 


298 


THE COMING KING. 


and the holy angels. A character is tlins devel¬ 
oped that is in harmony with God, and that can 
be relied upon throughout eternity. 

God has given a book of instruction which 
tells man what is required of him. In this book, 
called the Bible, or the word of God, is given 
the law of God to govern him. This law con¬ 
tains the principles which govern in heaven. 

By studying God’s word, and by obedience to 
his law, our characters are changed, and we be¬ 
come like those who live in heaven. If we refuse 
to obey God’s law, we do not make the needed 
change in character, and so remain citizens of 
earth, and members of Satan’s kingdom. Such 
persons could not be in harmony with the obedi¬ 
ence which prevails in heaven, and so will not 
be allowed to emigrate to that heavenly country. 

Thus we can see that all God’s commands to 
us are for the purpose of bringing us into har¬ 
mony with heaven, so that by and by we may be 
fitted for our heavenly home. 

But many have listened, and will continue to 
listen to what men say, and are obeying them 
contrary to God’s expressed commands. Will 
God accept service from such ? Hear what Christ 
says: “ In vain do they worship Me, teaching for 
doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 

*5:9- 


H>£1H shall appear the sign of 
tbe Son of /man In beavcn: 
and then shall all the tribes 
of tbe earth mourn, and they 
shall see the Son of /man coming in tbe clouds of heaven with 
power and great glory*” Matthew 24 : 30. 


There is- no one truth of Scripture to which 
so much prominence is given as that of the sec¬ 
ond coming of Christ. The New Testament is 
especially eloquent upon this subject, over three 
hundred references to it being found upon its 
pages. 

There is a reason for this prominence. The 
coming of Christ is the consummation of the Chris¬ 
tian’s hope; the event which changes the Chris¬ 
tian’s experience from mortality to immortality, 
from the sorrows, labors, privations, and agonies 
of the present life, to the joys and everlasting fe¬ 
licities of the life to come. 

Other hopes are set before us in the Scriptures ; 
but the hope of the coming of Christ is the 
crowning hope of all, in that it ushers in all 
other hopes. Thus Paul, writing to Titus, repre¬ 
sents Christians as ever “ looking for that blessed 

[299] 






300 


THE COMING KING. 


hope, and the glorious appearing of the great 
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13. 

Christians should not only look for the appear¬ 
ing of Christ, but they should love to contemplate 
it. What man was a more true and devoted fol¬ 
lower of Christ than the Apostle Paul ? To him, 
in life and in death, the coming of Christ was a 
joyful theme, a “blessed hope.” As he drew 
near to the end of his laborious life, and was soon 
to stand by the headsman’s block, the thought of 
the coming of his divine Master filled all the 
chambers of his soul with gladness. Condemned 
to death by an unrighteous judge, he looked for¬ 
ward to the glad time when the righteous Judge 
would come to judge the world in righteousness. 
2 Timothy 4:6-8. Like Abraham he believed 
that the Judge of all the earth would do right. 
Genesis 18:25. 

This righteous judgment, so full of hope and 
promise to the children of God, brings to those 
who have slighted the gracious offers of salvation 
and have followed their own evil ways, no ray of 
hope, no joy, no blessedness, nothing but destruc¬ 
tion. The heart that will not be moved to re¬ 
pentance by the love of God can be reached in 
no other way. God has no reserve power by 
which to save such. 

Jesus declares that His coming will be to the 
wicked like the flood which destroyed the unbe¬ 
lieving and wicked antediluvians, who mocked 
Noah and rejected his message of warning. Luke 
17:26, 27. 


THE COMING KING. 


301 


Says Paul: “ And to you who are troubled rest 
with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed 
from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming 
fire taking vengeance on them that know not 
God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord 
Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with ever¬ 
lasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, 
and from the glory of His power; when He shall 
come to be glorified in His saints, and to be ad¬ 
mired in all them that believe (because our tes¬ 
timony among you was believd) in that day ” 
2 Thessalonians 1 : 7-10. 

To the wicked, the day of the Lord’s appear¬ 
ing will be one of terror and distress. It is said 
of them in that day: “And the kings of the 
earth, and the great men, and the rich men, 
and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and 
every bondman, and every free man, hid them¬ 
selves in the dens and in the rocks of the moun¬ 
tains ; and said to the mountains and rocks, 
Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him 
that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath 
of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is 
come; and who shall be able to stand?” Reve¬ 
lation 6:15-17. 

In preceding chapters we have shown that the 
relation of our Saviour to this earth has been 
varied to meet the needs of a fallen humanity, 
and bring back the world to allegiance to God. 

As Creator, the word of God as spoken by 
Him, called the world into existence 


302 


THE COMING KING. 


As the great central figure of the plan of 
salvation, He was the “ Lamb slain from the 
foundation of the world.” 

The gospel of Christ was the hope of the pa¬ 
triarchs and prophets of the Old Testament, and 
He, in person, was the Leader of ancient Israel. 

He was the greatest Teacher that the world 
ever knew. 

He became the Man of Sorrows on earth, tak¬ 
ing the nature of man and living as a man, pass¬ 
ing through all the experiences that man must 
meet, that He might be able to reach mankind 
in whatever condition they might be. 

He bore the sins of the world in Gethsemane, 
and died on Calvary, that pardon might be made 
possible to all who would accept the offering 
made at so great a cost. 

Raised from the dead on the third day, He 
made the great coming resurrection day possible. 

As our Mediator and Advocate He pleads His 
blood in behalf of the repenting sinner, and by 
it brings to him forgiveness, justification, and 
righteousness. 

As High Priest, He now presents His own 
sacrifice, His own blood, as a perfect atonement 
for the sins of His people on earth, and thus 
the claims of His Father’s law are fully met, sin¬ 
ners are saved, and the justice of God vindicated. 

But the time is very near when our Saviour 
will lay off His priestly garments, assume His 
kingly crown, put on His royal robes, and take 


THE COMING KING. 


303 


to Himself the kingdom which He has redeemed 
from the power of the enemy. He is soon com¬ 
ing to earth to raise the righteous dead of all 
generations, change the faithful living from mor¬ 
tality to immortality, and with those redeemed 
by His great sacrifice, reign forever. To this 
great event the children of God have ever looked 
forward as the culmination of the hopes and de¬ 
sires of the ages. 

When He comes, it will be the same One 
who once walked the earth a stranger; the same 
One who died on the cross for sinners; the same 
One who ascended to heaven in the sight of His 
astonished and sorrowful disciples. This same 
Jesus! Do you believe it? Jesus said, “/ will 
come again.” The angel said, “This same Je¬ 
sus” will come again, “ In like manner as ye 
have seen Him go.” He went away bodily; He 
will return in the same manner. “ For the Lord 
Himself shall descend from heaven.” 1 Thessa- 
lonians 4:16. He was borne away in a cloud; 
He will come in the same way. “Behold, He 
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see 
Him.” Revelation 1: 7. Angels escorted Him 
to heaven ; they will also return with Him. “ The 
Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the 
holy angels with Him.” Matthew 25 : 31. 

But He will not come in His own glory 
alone. When He comes to receive to Himself 
His faithful ones, He will then appear in all 
the glory of heaven. He will “come in His 


20 


304 


THE COMING KING. 


own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy 
angels.” Luke 9 : 26. His own glory is above 
the brightness of the sun. Acts 26:13. The 
glory of the Father can be no less, and the glory 
of a single angel is described as follows:— 

“ And I saw another mighty angel come down 
from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rain¬ 
bow was upon his head, and his face was as it 
were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.” 
Revelation 10:1. 

When Jesus comes as King, accompanied by 
ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of 
thousands of these resplendent beings, shining in 
all the glory of Himself and His Father, He will 
indeed be “ wrapped in a blaze of boundless 
glory.” 

How different such a coming from that wit¬ 
nessed at His first advent. He came then a 
stranger to His own professed people; He will 
come again to be “ admired in all them that be¬ 
lieve.” Then He came in weakness; now He 
comes in power to scatter His enemies. He was 
then a babe in Bethlehem’s manger, wrapped in 
swaddling clothes, and lived to wear a crown of 
thorns; now He comes a King, wearing a crown 
of glory, and attended by all the shining angels. 
Then He came to bear the burden of sin, to suf¬ 
fer and to die; now He comes without sin, never¬ 
more to die, but bearing crowns of life for all 
His people. Thank God that this time — 


THE COMING KING. 


305 


“ He comes not an infant in Bethlehem born, 

He comes not to lie in a manger ; 

He comes not again to be treated with scorn, 

He comes not a shelterless stranger ; 

He comes not to Gethsemane, 

To weep and sweat blood in the garden ; 

He comes not to die on the tree, 

To purchase for rebels a pardon ; 

Oh, no ! glory, bright glory environs Him now.” 


And we shall see Him. What a thought! 
See Him as He is; He whose head and hairs 
are white like wool, as white as snow; whose 
eyes are as a flame of fire; whose feet are like 
unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; 
whose voice is as the sound of many waters, and 
whose countenance is as the sun shineth in his 
strength. Revelation 1:14-17. But this is too 
much for our understanding. We must wait for 
the glad day of His actual coming, when our 
eyes may behold Him in all His splendor; for, 
“It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but 
we know that, when He shall appear , we shall 
be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is .” 
1 John 3 : 2. 



The blessed Lord said to His 


disciples, “I will come again and receive you 
unto Myself.” John 14:3. To have Christ, and 
be with Him eternally, is no small reward. But 
this promise was not for the disciples alone. 
When “ Paul the aged ” was in prison, waiting 
for his death sentence to be carried out, he wrote: 
11 1 am now ready to be offered, and the time of 
my departure is at hand. I have fought a good 
fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the 
faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown 
of righteousness, which the Lord, the right¬ 
eous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not 
to me only, but unto all them also that love His 
appearing .” 2 Timothy 4 : 6-8. 

A crown of righteousness is a part of the 
great reward which the King will bestow. This 
is called by some writers a “ crown of life.” 
James 1:12; Revelation 2:10. Another says, 
“ When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye 
[306] 







THE KING’S REWARD. 


307 

shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not 
away. 1 Peter 5:4. 

But in order for this crown to be received by 
all for whom it is intended, some must be called 
from the dead; for many who now sleep in the 
dust have been righteous. The Lord, however, 
has made provision for all these. “For this we 
say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we 
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the 
Lord, shall not prevent [go before] them which 
are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend 
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the 
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the 
dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 
4: 15, 16. 

Thank God that though good men may die, 
the grave cannot hold them when the Lord comes 
and calls for them. No, indeed; for “all that 
are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall 
come forth.” John 5 : 28, 29. Not only this, but 
at the very instant they come out of their graves 
the gift of immortality is theirs. This is the 
Lord’s promise: “ Behold, I show you a mystery. 
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the 
last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the 
dead shall be raised incorruptible [immortal], 
and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15: 
5 1 ) 52. 

Glorious change indeed; no more sickness, 
sorrow, pain or death, “for the former things are 


THE COMING KING. 


3°8 

passed away.” Revelation 21:4. “Death is 
swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54), 
and all things are made new — a new life, a new 
home, a new occupation, a new song—and best 
of all, these may be enjoyed throughout the 
eternal ages. 

Is all this worth looking after? Who does 
not desire such a reward? Oh, to be able to re¬ 
ceive it! But in order to have this, each one 
must be u counted worthy ” of it. When the 
Lord comes, only the “ dead in Christ ” arise at 
His call. 1 Thessalonians 4 : 16. The rest of 
the dead do not rise till a thousand years after¬ 
ward. Revelation 20:5. This shows that the 
righteous are separated from the wicked when 
the Lord comes. But even this is done in a mo¬ 
ment, in the “ twinkling of an eye.” There is 
no time for the judgment, then. No; before the 
Lord comes, He looks over the cases of those 
who profess to know Him, and decides who are 
faithful; all the rest are left out, and when the 
King comes, the faithful alone are raised to life. 
After these are taken to dwell with Him, the 
wicked have their resurrection, and are brought 
forth to be punished. John 5 : 29. 

After the decision has been made as to who 
are worthy to come up in the resurrection of the 
just, then the Lord comes to give them the re¬ 
ward of everlasting life. Let us remember, then, 
that we must be ready to meet the Lord before 
this decision is rendered; for if we wait until the 


THE KING’S REWARD. 309 

Lord is seen coming, it will be too late. We shall 
then be obliged to cry, “ The harvest is past, the 
summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jere¬ 
miah 8; 20. 

The Lord gives us a solemn warning on this 
point. He says to all: “ Take heed to your¬ 
selves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged 
with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of 
this life, and so that day come upon you unawares . 
For as a snare shall it come on all them that 
dwell on the face of the whole earth.” Luke 21: 
34> 35* Snares are placed in concealment, where 
they will take birds and beasts that are not look¬ 
ing for them; as they move along carelessly, not 
thinking of any danger, suddenly, in an instant, 
they are ensnared, never to escape alive. In 
just the same way will the Lord's coming over¬ 
take those who are not prepared for it. “ Watch 
ye therefore,” the Saviour said, “and pray always, 
that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all 
these things that shall come to pass, and to 
stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36. 

We have seen that our resurrection, our im¬ 
mortality, our being with Christ, our crown of 
inheritance, all depend upon, and are to be given at, 
His second coming. How important, then, that 
coming is. If the coming were to prove a fail¬ 
ure, all would be lost. But that can never be. 
All through the dim ages of the past, as the 
saints have fallen one by one by the stroke of 
death, angels have marked their places of rest. 


3 IQ 


THE COMING KING. 


And when the order of the returning Lord shall 
be heard, “ Go, gather My saints together unto 
Me,” with what joyful haste will the angels fly 
to meet those who have burst the tomb at the 
sound of the voice of the Son of God! 

Oh, glorious awakening! Perhaps the first 
sight to greet the vision of those opening eyes in 
the dawn of eternity will be the face of an angel, 
radiant with glory. It must surely be an awak¬ 
ening of song, when death is thus “ swallowed 
up in victory,” and the sweet voice of Him who 
is our Redeemer is heard to sing, “ I will declare 
Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the 
church will I sing praise unto Thee.” Hebrews 
2:12. Then will the very heavens ring with the 
jubilee of that assembled throng. 



1R2> H John saw tbe boly city, 
IRew Jerusalem, coming down 
from <Boa out of beaveit, 
prepared as a bride adorned 
for ber husband,” IRey* 
elation :2. 


Christ, when about to leave His disciples, 
comforted them with these words: “In my Fa¬ 
ther’s house are many mansions: if it were not 
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a 
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place 
for you, I will come again, and receive you unto 
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” 
John 14:2, 3. 

There is a glorious city being built in heaven 
for the faithful. Mansions are being erected in 
it for the overcomers. This wondrous city was 
already under construction when Christ was on 
earth. On His return to heaven He promised to 
continue this work; and as the years passed, 
new mansions were to be added to meet the de¬ 
mands of the saints as they finished their course, 
even down to the time when the King shall come 
and claim His own. 

Then the resurrected saints and the living 

[311] 

















3 12 


THE COMING KING. 


righteous will be caught up “in the clouds, to 
meet the Lord in the air.” See i Corinthians 
15:51, 52 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. Borne from 
earth to the mansions prepared for them in the 
city of God, they will there live and reign “with 
Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4. 

During this thousand years the saints will 
“judge the world,” as stated by Paul in 1 Cor¬ 
inthians 6:2, and as recorded in Daniel 7:22. At 
the end of the thousand years the wicked dead 
will be raised. See Revelation 20:5, 6. The 
New Jerusalem will come down to earth from 
heaven. Revelation 21:2, 10. 

For a thousand years Satan will be confined 
to this earth. During this time his subjects will 
all be dead, and his occupation of deceiving the 
world will be gone; for there will be none alive to 
be deceived, so the earth will be a dreary prison 
for him. This is called the binding of Satan. 
Revelation 20:2. 

But with the resurrection of all the wicked 
who have ever lived, a field opens again in which 
Satan can work, and he is thus “ loosed out of 
his prison.” Revelation 20: 7. With the occu¬ 
pation before him of again deceiving “ the nations ” 
(verse 8), the earth no longer confines him as in 
a prison. 

The glorious New Jerusalem is before him. 
He once before waged war with heaven (Revela¬ 
tion 12:7), and he now determines to marshal 
his forces and, if possible, capture the city. It 


THE NEW JERUSALEM. 


313 


is a desperate undertaking, but it is bis last op¬ 
portunity, and be hopes to win. This hope be 
presents to the vast throng of the resurrected 
wicked. In this multitude are the great warriors 
of every age. He deceives them with the vain 
hope of success in his enterprise. 

The earth rings with preparation for war. 
When all is ready, the mighty army is gathered 
“ to battle, the number of whom is as the sand 
of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of 
the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints 
and about, the beloved city.” Revelation 20:8, 9. 

But as they are about to wage impious war upon- 
Christ and the redeemed host, fire comes “ down 
from God out of heaven,” and devours them. 
Verse 9. Thus will end the kingdom of Satan, 
and the reign of wickedness in all the universe 
of God. 

This purifying fire will cleanse the earth, and 
it will come forth perfect and lovely as on the 
day when it came from the hand of the Creator, 
and He pronounced it “ good.” 

Peter, speaking of this event, says that “ the 
elements [the atmosphere surrounding the earth] 
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also [shall 
melt] and the works that are therein shall be 
burned up.” “ Nevertheless we, according to His 
promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, 
wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3 :10, 13. 

The earth will melt with the burning of that 
day. The “works” of man “that are therein 


THE COMING KING. 


3 X 4 

shall be burned up; ” but from it will come a new 
earth, glorious in all the beauty that an all-wise 
Creator can give it. The “ heavens,” or atmos¬ 
phere which surrounds it, will be made “new,” 
freed from all the poisonous elements which now 
contaminate it. 

The New Jerusalem has been preserved through 
these terrible scenes by the power of God. When 
the holy city comes down from God out of heaven,” 
our Saviour precedes it and prepares a place for 
it. “And His feet shall stand in that day upon 
the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem 
on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave 
in the midst thereof toward the east and toward 
the west, and there shall be a very great valley.” 
Zechariah 14:4. 

It is reasonable to suppose that in this won¬ 
derful valley, so miraculously prepared, the New 
Jerusalem will descend. It is the largest city the 
world has ever known, and requires spacious 
grounds. 

The Mount of Olives is surrounded by mem¬ 
ories the most sacred. It is close by Jerusalem, 
and near the temple where God was wont to meet 
His faithful people. Here the Saviour loved to 
go with His disciples. Whole nights He spent 
upon its sides in prayer, and from it He ascended 
to heaven when His mission to earth was finished. 

When He returns, accompanied by the New 
Jerusalem, how appropriate that His feet should 
first rest upon the spot from which He ascended. 


MOUNT OP OLIVES 











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316 


THE COMING KING. 


How appropriate that the New Jerusalem, the 
capital city of the new earth, should rest upon 
the spot where the earthly Jerusalem once stood. 

Hallowed by the presence of Christ, and trans¬ 
formed by His power, this spot of earth is puri¬ 
fied and made ready without the action of the 
fires of the great burning. So while the rest of 
the earth is being melted and made new, the city 
of our God remains unmolested, the peaceful 
home of Christ and the redeemed throng. 

God has seen fit to give us a minute descrip¬ 
tion of this glorious city. It lies foursquare, and 
it is twelve thousand furlongs, or fifteen hundred 
miles, around it. This makes three hundred and 
seventy-five miles on every side. It has a wall 
about two hundred and fifty feet high, built of 
jasper. This wall has twelve foundations, made 
up of the rarest and most beautiful stones. In 
this wall are twelve gates, each one made of a 
single pearl. The mansions are made of trans¬ 
parent gold. 

The river of life issues from “ the throne of 
God and the Lamb,” and runs through the main 
street of the city. The river flows beneath the 
tree of life, which grows on either side. From 
the description given in Revelation 22:2, we un¬ 
derstand that this wonderful tree has two trunks — 
one on each side of the river. Its branches join 
at the top, forming a beautiful arch over the 
river. 

“And the leaves of the tree were for the 


THE NEW JERUSALEM. 317 

healing of the nations.” Verse 2. Sin has dwarfed 
and enfeebled mankind; but the leaves of this 
tree will' restore the race to its original condition 
before the curse of sin rested upon it. Thus all 
effects of the curse will be removed. 

The fruit of the tree ripens every month, and 
it bears “ twelve manner of fruits.” Revelation 
22:2. And as the saints come up “from one 
new moon to another” (Isaiah 66: 23), it is reason¬ 
able to infer that this tree will be found loaded 
with a different variety of fruit each month. The 
fruit of this tree perpetuates the life of those 
who eat of it. 

The New Jerusalem is the city residence of 
the saved. I11 it are mansions for all. Outside 
the city, to earth’s remotest bounds, the nations 
of the saved dwell in peace, plenty, and happiness. 

But they are not idle. They have their oc¬ 
cupations and individual interests as we have 
now. Read Isaiah 65:21-25. They will “build 
houses ” to suit their own tastes, and they will 
live in them forever. “ They shall not build 
and another inhabit.” They will attend to farm¬ 
ing pursuits; for “ they shall plant vineyards, 
and eat the fruit of them.” “ They shall not 
plant, and another eat.” There will then be no 
mortgages to foreclose, nor rents to pay, nor 
taxes to be collected. 

Their occupation will be varied by frequent 
visits to their city home in the New Jerusalem; 
for “from one new moon to another, and from 


THE COMING KING. 


3X8 

one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to 
worship before Me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 66: 
23. But there will be order in this new realm, 
and there will be those who will govern the various 
provinces of the empire of Christ; for it is stated 
that “ the kings of the earth do bring their glory 
and honor into it.” Revelation 21:24. 

“ And God shall wipe away all tears from their 
eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither 
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any 
more pain: for the former things are passed away.” 
Revelation 21:4. Forever separated from death, 
the saved will live an eternal life, in duration as 
the life of God, with whom “they shall reign 
forever and ever.” Revelation 22:5. 

Lost in amazement as we contemplate these 
wonderful themes, we can only join with Paul in 
exclaiming. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither have entered into the heart of man, the 
things which God hath prepared for them that 
love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2 : Q. 








































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































